No store-bought ground pilau masala can beat freshly made aromatic delightful Pilau Masala, ground at home.
The good news is that even without a grinder, you can grind it very easily at home with your mortar and pestle.
I have made pilau on several occasions with either of the two- store-bought pilau masala powder and freshly ground pilau masala powder at home. I have done it enough times to note the difference. Pilau with home-ground pilau masala is unbeatable.
You hence want to arm yourself with a recipe as well as the very simple procedure of doing so.
Even without individual whole spices, you can still buy store or supermarket-bought whole pilau masala mix, then you can grind it at home yourself. It also tastes much richer than if you bought the one already ground.
If you want to buy the spices separately, I find that the ratios below work well for me. I trust you too will love the pilau masala you make with these ratios.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 & ½ tablespoons whole cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons whole cardamom pods
- Cloves – 1 teaspoon whole
- Cinnamon stick (About 5 inches)
Cumin Seeds
Black Peppercorns
Shelled Cardamom
Cloves
Cinnamon Stick
Instructions:
Step One
Begin by shelling the cardamom. I usually take a piece at a time and split it apart using my fingers. I’ll then get the inside part out. We will use that part to make our pilau masala spice.
*I don’t discard the outer shells of my cardamom. I like to add them to my milk tea. I often do this just before the tea gets ready. I’ll then stir them in and when the tea is ready, I’ll let it simmer for a few more minutes for the tea to absorb the aromatic taste of cardamom that’s still in the pods. I’ll then sieve them out. The aromatic taste of cardamom makes the tea delightful.
Cardamom Shells
 Next, Cut up the cinnamon sticks into small pieces. This works much better, especially when you are grinding them in your mortar and pestle as we will do.
Step Two
Heat the pan you will use to slightly roast the spices. It should be a fairly heavy pan.
Combine all the ingredients above.
If you’re working with the store-bought pilau masala mix, you already have the mix ready for the next procedure below. Simply work with the amount you will need.
Step Three
Once the pan is hot enough, add them to the pan.
Stir them continuously until all the spices get hot. They’ll not only crush more readily, but they’ll also begin to release the aromatic aroma that’s typical of masala.
Roast them for a minute or so. Do not let them burn.
Step Four
Now transfer them to your mortar, then crush them with your pestle. Keep at this until they are as finely ground as you can get them to be.
You’ll have your ground pilau masala ready.
You’ll have the best results when you work with your pilau masala when it is freshly ground. The spicy fragrance of the combined spices is strongest then.
In case some is left over, store it in an airtight suitable container for future use.
In case you’d like to know how to make No-meat Pilau with this delightful homemade pilau masala, you can find our popular recipe here.
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