Biryani masala is the spice blend that gives a proper biryani its distinctive warmth and fragrance. It's more complex than garam masala — bigger quantities of caraway and coriander; the addition of mace and dried red chillies; and a higher proportion of whole spices that need toasting and grinding fresh.

Homemade biryani masala recipe — toast, grind, store – The Flexible Chef

The bay leaves go in untoasted and are ground with everything else at the end. A word of practical advice: bay leaves are hard work in a pestle and mortar. The Wahl spice grinder — which has been handling this kind of job in this kitchen since 2012 — makes short work of them. Use a grinder if you have one.

The Biryani Masala Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp coriander seeds
• 3 tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp mace strands
• 15 green cardamom pods
• 3 black cardamom pods
• 5 cinnamon sticks, roughly 3 inches each
• 4 dried red chillies
• 8 dried bay leaves, crumbled
• ½ tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 small nutmeg

Method

1. Toast all the whole spices individually in a dry pan over medium heat — except the bay leaves — until fragrant. Don't rush and don't burn them. Leave to cool completely.
2. Add the toasted spices, crumbled bay leaves and nutmeg to a spice grinder. Grind to a fine powder — the bay leaves, in particular, need a proper grinder rather than a pestle and mortar.
3. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Keeps for up to 3 months.

A note on quantities

This makes a generous batch. Biryani masala is worth making in quantity — it's time-consuming to prepare and keeps well. Use 2–3 tablespoons per biryani, adjusting to taste.

Footnote This homemade biryani masala recipe is part of my Curry Recipes collection — the complete guide to curries, spice blends, bases, chutneys and sides from The Flexible Chef. Explore the full Curry Recipes hub.

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