We are a biryani loving family. Chicken biryani, mutton biryani, shrimp biryani, fish biryani, paneer biryani, veg biryani.............. well, you name it and we eat it. We also cook it at home.
We have been making our own masalas at home for as long as I can remember. My mother and grandmothers made their own masalas and I guess that legacy is continued at 'merakitchen'.
I generally make these masalas in small batches which last about 4 to 6 months. I keep them in the freezer to retain their aromas.
Follow the link 'some-spices-used-in-indian-desi-kitchens' to get a picture of the spices used here. This is not an exhaustive list.
Ingredients
Cloves / Lavang - 30 pieces
Black cardamom / Badi elaichi - 5 pieces
Green cardamom / Choti elaichi - 25 pieces
Cinnamon / Dalchini -5 (big)
Nutmeg / Jaiphal- 1/4 piece
Cumin seeds / Jeera - 5 tablespoons
Black cumin / Shahi jeera - 4 teaspoons
Mace / Javitri - 7 pieces
Stone flower / Dagad phool - 10 pieces
Star anise / Chara phool - 8 pieces
Fennel Seeds / Saunf - 4 tablespoons
Coriander seeds / Akkha Dhania - 1/2 Cup
Black pepper / Kali mirch - 3 tablespoons
Bay leaf / Tej patta - 7
Fenugreek seeds / Methi dana - 1/8 teaspoon
Method
Dry Roast all the ingredients one at a time and let them cool in a plate. Once they are at room temperature, grind the entire batch into a powder. I do not sieve the ground spices, but you may do so if you please.
Let it sit on a plate to let go of any heat it may have generated in the grinding process. Store it in a glass jar with a tight cap and keep it in the freezer. This way you keep the aromas intact.
Makes about 2 cups of masala powder. And it has a life of 1 year in the freezer. But, if you are a biryani lover like us................ this will be over in no time.
No comments:
Post a Comment