Masalas · Hyderabad

Hyderabadi Biryani Masala

The perfumed blend behind a proper Hyderabadi dum biryani: shahi jeera, mace, stone flower, cubeb and rose petals, roasted gently and ground fine.

Prep 5 min · Cook 8 min · Total 13 min + 20 min cooling · Serves 22

Ingredients

Whole spices

• 1 tbsp Shahi jeera (black caraway)
• 2 tbsp Coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp Fennel seeds
• 12 Green cardamom pods
• 2 Black cardamom pods
• 1 tsp Cloves
• 2 inch Cinnamon stick
• 2 Mace blades (javitri)
• 2 Star anise
• 1 tbsp Stone flower (dagad phool / rathi puvvu)
• ½ tsp Cubeb (kabab chini)
• 1 tsp Black peppercorns
• 3 Bay leaves
• ¼ Nutmeg
• 1 tbsp Dried rose petals

Method

1. Roast the seeds. Warm a dry heavy pan over low heat. Roast the coriander, fennel and shahi jeera, stirring all the time, for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Shahi jeera burns quickly, so keep the heat low. Tip onto a plate.
2. Roast the aromatics. Add the cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, mace, star anise, stone flower, cubeb, peppercorns and bay leaves to the pan. Roast gently until the mace darkens slightly and the stone flower smells earthy. Add to the plate.
3. Warm the petals. Turn off the heat and stir the rose petals in the warm pan for 30 seconds just to crisp them. Add them and the nutmeg to the plate.
4. Cool. Leave everything to cool completely, until the pan-warmth is gone from the middle of the pile.
5. Grind and sieve. Grind to a fine powder in short pulses. Sieve, then regrind the coarse bits and sieve again so the masala disappears into the rice without any gritty husks.
6. Store. Keep in a small airtight glass jar in a cool, dark cupboard. The perfume is strongest in the first month and the blend is good for 3 months.

Tips

Use about 1 1/2 tsp per 500 g of meat in the marinade and a pinch over the rice layers. It is made for Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani on this site and works just as well in mutton and vegetable dum biryanis, keema and rich pulao.