Home Made Biriyani Masala Ingredients

I have been getting many requests from Visitors asking me for the ingredients and proportion of Home Made Spice Masala Powders like Biriyani Masala, Chicken Masala, Garam Masala and so on.

I use home made, ground Biryani masala for making Chicken, Egg, Fish or Vegetable Biriyani. Biryani Masala Powder is nothing but a combination of Garam Masala and few additional ingredients like Dried Fruits, Fried Onions and so on. Again, the ingredients vary from region to region. Fennel Seeds are commonly used in Kerala whereas Black Cumin is used in North India.

I use the following ingredients for making home made biryani masala powder:-

1. Cloves (Gramboo) – 10
2. Green Cardamom (Elakka) –  4
3. Cinnamon stick (Patta/Karukapatta) – 4 pieces of 1” inch length each
4. Nutmeg (Jaathikka) – 1/2 tsp grated
5. Mace (JaathiPoo) – 1
6. Star Anise (Thakkolam/Nakshathra Poo) – 2
7. Fennel seeds (Perinjeerakam) – 2 tsp
8. Cumin seeds (Jeerakam) – 1 tsp
9. Bay Leaves (Karuva Ela) – 4

• Lightly dry roast and grind the above ingredients. You can also grind all the ingredients directly without dry roasting. Dry Roasting brings out a different aroma and flavor and also increases shelf life.
• Store it in an air tight container and it will remain fresh for around 2 months. Freshly ground masala has a wonderful aroma. I often grind the ingredients just before making Biryani.

Some additional ingredients which are often found in Store Bought Biryani Masala Powders are:-

1. Coriander
2. Turmeric
3. Red Chilly
4. Black Pepper
5. Black Cumin (Shah Jeera)
6. Black Cardamom
7. Poppy Seeds
8. Coconut Powder
9. Aniseed (Saumph)
10. Caraway Seeds (Shia Jeera)
11. Dried Fenugreek Leaves
12. Saffron

For more details on spices and to see the pictures, here is an English Malayalam Spice Glossary.