Mughlai (shahi) garam masala
Vegetarian
شاہی گرم مصالحہ · shāhī garam masālā
A perfumed, sweeter garam masala in the style of Lucknow and Delhi kitchens: green cardamom, cassia, mace, nutmeg and shahi jeera lead, with only a little coriander for body. Made for kormas, biryanis, kebabs and creamy shahi gravies.
Mughlai (shahi) garam masala is an Indian condiment, ready in about 23 minutes and made with cardamom, mace and nutmeg. It serves 36 and is rated easy to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 23 min
- Serves
- 36
- Level
- Easy
- Calories
- 7
Method
Step 1
Over low heat, warm the coriander seeds (opens in a new tab) in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and a shade darker. Tip out.
- 3 min
- low heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
Step 2
Add the green and black cardamom (opens in a new tab), cassia, cloves (opens in a new tab), peppercorns (opens in a new tab) and bay leaves (opens in a new tab) and warm them for 2 minutes, stirring, until the cloves swell and the cardamom (opens in a new tab) smells sweet. Add the caraway (opens in a new tab) (or shahi jeera) and fennel for the final minute and the mace (opens in a new tab) for the last 20 seconds. The aim is to dry and wake the spices, not darken them.
- 3 min
- low heat
Shahi spices are delicate; deep roasting turns them harsh.
Step 3
Tip everything onto a wide plate in a single layer and cool completely, about 10 minutes. Warm spices release oil and steam in the grinder and turn pasty and clumpy. Split the black cardamom (opens in a new tab) and keep only the seeds.
- 10 min
Step 4
Grind in short bursts with the grated nutmeg (opens in a new tab) to a fine powder. Sift; regrind the husky bits left in the sieve (green cardamom (opens in a new tab) husks can be discarded if stubborn).
How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels Step 5
Spoon into a clean, completely dry glass jar or spice tin, label with the date and keep away from the stove, light and steam. Always use a dry spoon.
About this dish
- Origin
- Awadh (Lucknow), Delhi and Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, India · Commonly attributedAssociated with Mughal-derived court cooking; recipes are family secrets and vary widely. This is a representative home adaptation without hard-to-find extras such as kebab chini and rose petals (see variations).Also popular in Pakistan, BangladeshMore food from India
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
- Cooking method
- Toasted
- Taste
- aromatic / warmly spiced, sweet, peppery
- Diet
- Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carbWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-sodium - Good for
- Make-ahead · Festive & celebration
- Cook more with
- Cardamom · Mace · Nutmeg · Cinnamon stick · Caraway seeds · Coriander seeds
- Techniques
- Toasting · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
7 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 2 g · recipe makes 36
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 9%
- Carbohydrate 60%
- Fat 31%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 7 kcal | 334 kcal |
| Protein | 0.2 g | 11 g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.3 g | 65 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 0.6 g | 29 g |
| Sugars | — | — |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0.7 g | 36 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 12.8 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.1 g | 3.8 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 1 mg | 46 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0 g | 0.1 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 22 mg
- Calcium
- 13 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 5 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 0 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- —
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- Black cardamom: Green cardamom (FDC 170919) used as a stand-in; black cardamom is smoky and used whole in small amounts.
- Mace: Nutmeg (FDC 171326) used as a stand-in; mace is the aril of the same seed.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Sprinkle a pinch over a biryani before sealing the pot, or into a korma with the cream.
- A drop of kewra or rose water in the dish echoes the rose petals used in some family blends.
Common mistakes
- Over-roasting until dark brown, which kills the floral notes.
- Using it as heavily as Punjabi garam masala — it is much more concentrated in cardamom and mace.
Serve with
- Shahi paneer, chicken korma, malai kofta and Dhakai kacchi biryani.
- Shami and seekh kebab mixtures.
Storage
- Airtight, cool and dark, for 2–3 months.
Variations
- With rose petals and kebab chini: Add 2 g dried edible rose petals and 2 g kebab chini (cubeb pepper), ground with the rest.
- Hyderabadi potli masala: Similar spices kept whole and tied in muslin to infuse biryani and haleem.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
About this masala
- Type
- Dry spice blend
- Texture
- Fine powder
- One batch makes
- about 74 g
- Keeps
- about 3 months
- Store
- Airtight jar, cool dark cupboard
- Recipe
- Regional variation
Awadh (Lucknow), Delhi and Hyderabad. Makes Garam masala, the ingredient our dish recipes list. All masalas
Regional variations: Bengali garam masala, Biryani masala, Kerala (Malabar) garam masala, Punjabi garam masala
Used in
Amounts are each dish’s own quantity, for the servings it is written for. “Make enough” opens this recipe scaled for that dish.
- Dhakai kacchi biryaniMade fresh in the recipe (the shahi spices go whole and crushed into the meat marinade (step 1) rather than ground) · 11 g for 8 servingsMake enough
- Aloo gobi1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Aloo gosht1 tsp · 2.1 g for 5 servingsMake enough
- Aloo keema1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Aloo paratha½ tsp · 1 g for 4 parathas (4 large)Make enough
- Aloo rasedar½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Amritsari kulcha½ tsp · 1 g for 6 kulchasMake enough
- Anda bhurji (Indian spiced scrambled eggs)½ tsp · 1 g for 3 servingsMake enough
- Anda curry1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Andhra chicken curry1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Baingan bharta½ tsp · 1 g for 3 servingsMake enough
- Bangladeshi beef bhuna1 tsp · 2.1 g for 6 servingsMake enough
- Beef nihari1 tsp · 2.1 g for 6 servingsMake enough
- Bhindi masala½ tsp · 1 g for 3 servingsMake enough
- Bhuna khichuri½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Burmese chicken curry½ tsp · 1 g for 5 servingsMake enough
- Burmese pork curry½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servings · optionalMake enough
- Butter chicken1 tsp + ½ tsp · 3.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Cape Malay chicken curry1½ tsp · 3.1 g for 6 servingsMake enough
- Champaran meat1½ tsp · 3.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Chana masala1½ tsp · 3.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Chana paratha¼ tsp · 0.5 g for 6 parathasMake enough
- Chana samosa (Chhattisgarh street-style)½ tsp + 1 tsp · 3.1 g for 6 servings (12 samosas)Make enough
- Chicken balti2 tsp · 4.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Chicken biryani2 tsp · 4.1 g for 6 servingsMake enough
- Chicken karahi½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Chicken keema paratha½ tsp · 1 g for 6 parathasMake enough
- Chicken korma½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Chicken tikka masala1 tsp + 1 tsp · 4.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Chicken yakhni pulao½ tsp · 1 g for 5 servingsMake enough
- Chingri bhuna½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Chole bhature1½ tsp · 3.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Dal makhani½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Dal tadka with red lentils½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Duck curry with ash gourd1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Gatte ki sabzi½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Ghugni (Jharkhand-style)1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Gobi paratha½ tsp · 1 g for 6 parathasMake enough
- Haleem2 tsp · 4.1 g for 8 servingsMake enough
- Hyderabadi dalcha1 tsp · 2.1 g for 5 servingsMake enough
- Japanese curry rice1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Japanese curry roux (homemade)5 g · 5 g for 4 blocks (about 32 g, each thickens about 200 ml stock)Make enough
- Kabuli pulao1 tsp · 2.1 g for 6 servingsMake enough
- Kadai paneer½ tsp · 1 g for 3 servingsMake enough
- Kadala curry½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Keema matar1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Kenyan beef pilau1 tsp · 2.1 g for 6 servingsMake enough
- Kerala egg roast½ tsp · 1 g for 3 servingsMake enough
- Kosha mangsho1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Kukhura ko masu1 tsp · 2.1 g for 5 servingsMake enough
- Lahori chargha1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Malai kofta1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Matar paneer½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Misal pav1½ tsp · 3.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Mix veg paratha½ tsp · 1 g for 6 parathasMake enough
- Palak paneer1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Palak shorba¼ tsp · 0.5 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Paneer paratha¼ tsp · 0.5 g for 6 parathasMake enough
- Paneer tikka1 tsp · 2.1 g for 3 servingsMake enough
- Patta gobhi paratha¼ tsp · 0.5 g for 6 parathasMake enough
- Punjabi dum aloo½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Pyaaz paratha¼ tsp · 0.5 g for 6 parathasMake enough
- Rajma1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Rogan josh1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Seekh kebab1½ tsp · 3.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Shahi paneer½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Sindhi biryani1 tsp · 2.1 g for 8 servingsMake enough
- Soya chunk and chickpea curry1½ tsp · 3.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Soya paratha½ tsp · 1 g for 6 parathasMake enough
- Tandoori chicken2 tsp · 4.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Tofu and chickpea saag1 tsp · 2.1 g for 4 servingsMake enough
- Trinidad curry duck1 tsp · 2.1 g for 5 servings · optionalMake enough
- Vegetable pulao½ tsp · 1 g for 4 servings · optionalMake enough
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
The spice and seasoning backbone
Spices, masalas & pastes
- Cardamom, lightly roast whole green pods (about 75)15 g
- Cinnamon stick, lightly roast, broken up10 g
- Caraway seeds, dry-roast briefly10 g
- Coriander seeds, dry-roast until a shade darker10 g
- Cloves, lightly roast until swollen6 g
- Black peppercorns, lightly roast6 g
- Black cardamom, lightly roast whole (about 3 pods), seeds only5 g
- Fennel seeds, lightly roast5 g
- Mace, lightly roast for 20 seconds (4–5 blades)4 g
- Nutmeg, raw, grated (about two-thirds of a nutmeg)4 g
- Bay leaves, lightly roast until crisp, torn2 g
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