Introduce a whole new, unexpected flavor boost to your favorite biryani recipe using biryani masala paste! Suppose you are used to flavoring your biryani with masala powder. In that case, this homemade masala paste recipe will undoubtedly be much more convenient, time-saving, and effective in making a quick yet decadent biryani! Fresh and dried ingredients will elevate your dish, making it a treat for the whole family!

Our version of this incredibly flavorful biryani masala paste calls for some essential ingredients you can easily find around your pantry. So gather the required spices and herbs and whip up your own batch with us!

Why is biryani masala paste so practical when making biryani, and how does it differentiate it from biryani masala powder? Click on this link and refer to our detailed post for more information!

Homemade Biryani Masala Paste Recipe.

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by SpiceRally

Servings

Cup

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

This authentic biryani masala paste includes the classic flavors to bring an incredible zest to any type of biryani you make. You can make this ahead and store it in the refrigerator to use whenever you need to come up with a delicious pot of biryani!

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Spices & Herbs

3 3 Indian Bay leaves
2 pods 2 Black cardamom
6 pods 6 Green cardamom
1 tsp 1 Black peppercorns
5 5 Cloves
2 florets 2 Star anise
2 pieces 2 Cinnamon (2-inch pieces)
1 floret 1 Mace
1 1/2 tsp 1 1/2 Red chile powder
2 tsp 2 Coriander powder
1/2 tsp 1/2 Ground turmeric
1 tsp 1 Ground cumin
1 tsp 1 Ground fennel seeds
1/4 tsp 1/4 Ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp 1/4 Caraway seeds
6 cloves 6 Garlic (fresh)
1 piece 1 Ginger (about a 2-inch piece, fresh)
2 2 Green chiles (fresh)
1/4 cup 1/4 Cilantro (fresh)
1/4 1/4 Mint leaves (fresh)
Other ingredients
6 6 Shallots (small)
3 tbsp 3 Oil
1/2 tsp 1/2 Sea Salt
Equipment
1 1 Thick-bottom pan/ skillet
1 1 Grinder/ food processor
Spoons
1 1 Air-tight container
1 1 Kitchen towel/ paper towel

Directions

As the first step, you need to make the masala powder using dry ingredients.
Keep the thick-bottom pan or the skillet over medium-low heat. Once the pan is heated, add cinnamon, black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, star anise, mace, bay leaves, caraway seeds, and black peppercorns to it. Dry-roast these whole spices until aromatic.
Transfer them to a plate and let them cool down for about 5 minutes.
Once the spices and herbs are cooled down, wipe the jar of your grinder or food processor using a clean kitchen towel/ paper towel and grind all the ingredients to a fine powder. Leave it a little coarser.
Transfer the masala powder to another container and set aside.
Making the biryani masala paste
Roughly chop the shallots, green chiles, garlic, and ginger into chunks.
Now, add them to the jar of your grinder or food processor along with cilantro, mint leaves, salt, and two tablespoons of oil.
Blend these ingredients until you get a paste.
Then, pause the grinder or your food processor, open the lid of the jar, and add the prepared biryani masala powder along with ground turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, nutmeg powder, ground fennel, and red chile powder. Mix in the remaining tablespoon of oil and blend everything until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
Do not add any water. If you feel the mixture is dry, add more oil to facilitate the blending process.
Use as desired or store in a well-fitting container and keep it in the refrigerator until you need it.

Tasty Notes by SpiceRally

Although we have used red chile powder in our recipe, you can skip it and use cayenne pepper powder instead.
We have included cilantro and mint leaves to get the authentic flavor in our recipe. But feel free to proceed with either of the herbs, depending on what you have.
Since we have mentioned just “oil” in our recipe, you can use whatever type of oil you like. Coconut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil can be suggested as the best options.
Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic in your biryani masala paste if you are not a very good fan of this spice.
Use regular bay leaves if you can’t find Indian bay leaves. And skip the salt if you don’t like adding it to your biryani masala paste.
You can store this paste in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Double the ingredients to make a larger batch.