How to Make Kashmiri Veri Masala

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 18, 2021 References Tested

If you're culinarily adventurous, one of the best things you can do is make your own spice mixtures. Kashmiri veri masala is a great seasoning to have on hand since a little of it packs a ton of flavor. Dry roast whole spices like cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and peppercorns before you grind them into a fine powder. You can mix this spicy, aromatic seasoning into lamb or chicken dishes as well as rice.

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) of cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) of cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon (2 g) of coriander seeds
1 teaspoon (2 g) of whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon (2 g) of fennel seeds
1/2 of a cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of cloves
2 bay leaves
1 nutmeg, crushed
2 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 g) of garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons (4.5 g) of ground ginger
2 teaspoons (5.5 g) of Kashmiri red chili powder
5 tablespoons (74 ml) of vegetable oil, optional

Makes about 1 cup (125 g) of masala

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Mixing Veri Masala

1
Put the seeds, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and nutmeg in a skillet. Set a skillet on the stove and put 1/2 of a cinnamon stick into it along with 1 teaspoon (2 g) of whole black peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 crushed nutmeg, and these seeds:^{[1]
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- 1 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) of cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) of cardamom seeds
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) of coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) of fennel seeds
2
Stir the mixture over medium heat for 6 to 10 minutes or until it smells fragrant. Turn on the burner to medium, but don't add oil to the skillet. Dry roast the ingredients and stir constantly so they don't scorch in spots. You should smell the rich spices becoming stronger once they're done roasting.^{[2]
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- If the spices start to darken in spots, you may need to turn the burner down to low.
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3
Turn off the burner and cool the roasted ingredients on a separate plate. Since the ingredients will keep cooking in the hot skillet even after you turn off the burner, carefully pour them onto a plate and set the mixture aside to cool completely.^{[3]
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- Let the mixture cool for at least 15 minutes before you grind it.
4
Put the mixture into a spice grinder with garlic, ginger, and chili powders. Once the mixture is cool to the touch, pour it into a spice grinder and add 2 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 g) of garlic powder, 2 1/2 teaspoons (4.5 g) of ground ginger, and 2 teaspoons (5.5 g) of Kashmiri red chili powder.^{[4]
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- If you don't have a spice grinder, use a coffee grinder. After you've finished grinding the masala, fill the coffee grinder with dry rice and grind it for about a minute. Dump out the rice so your grinder is ready for coffee beans.
5
Grind all of the spices until you have a fine powder. Put the lid on your spice grinder and grind the ingredients until the seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick are finely ground. If you have a really sharp spice grinder, this shouldn't take very long.^{[5]
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- If your spice grinder is dull or not very powerful, you may need to grind the masala for longer.
6
Mix in oil if you'd like to shape the masala into patties. Some Kashmiri families make circular spice patties and dry them for long-term storage. To do this, knead 5 tablespoons (74 ml) of vegetable oil into the masala. Then, form 7 or 8 balls and press down on them to make round patties. Use your finger to make a small hole in the center of each and leave them to dry for about 10 days.^{[6]
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- When you go to use the patties, just break off a tiny bit of dried masala patty. You can dissolve it in water before you add it to your Kashmiri dish.
7
Put the mix into an airtight container and store it at room temperature. Spoon the masala powder or put the dried patties into an airtight container. If you keep the masala in your pantry, store it out of direct sunlight so the spices stay potent. You can usually keep the flavorful spice mixture for a few months.^{[7]
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- If you want the masala to last longer, put the airtight container into the freezer.
- The masala powder keeps indefinitely, but it will lose its flavor the longer you store it. Check the patties and throw them out if you see mold growing on top.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using the Veri Masala

1
Cook delicious tikka masala with Kashmiri flavorings. Coat pieces of chicken, goat, or mutton with Kashmiri masala before you sear the meat in a skillet. Then, simmer the meat in your favorite sauce until it's tender. To make a creamy tikka masala, stir in some cream or yogurt before you serve the meal.^{[8]
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- You can marinate meat in Kashmiri masala for up to 6 hours. Keep in mind that the longer you marinate the meat, the more flavorful it becomes.
2
Make the classic Kashmiri dish rogan josh. This famous lamb or mutton dish is spicy and the meat melts in your mouth since you slow cook it. Simmer lamb rogan josh on the stove or in a slow cooker and dissolve 2 tablespoons (12 g) of Kashmiri masala in water. Stir the dissolved spices into the rogan josh and simmer the dish until the meat is tender.^{[9]
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- Feel free to use more Kashmiri masala if you'd like the rogan josh to be spicier.
3
Stir 1 teaspoon (2 g) of masala into rice for a flavorful porridge. Kashmiri ver is classic comfort food that starts by boiling rice with Kashmiri chili powder and salt. Once you have a creamy porridge, stir a spoonful of Kashmiri masala into the rice and top the dish with chopped walnuts.^{[10]
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- This porridge uses plain Kashmiri red chili powder along with Kashmiri veri masala.