Regional blends
Kashmiri masala (verinag)
A Kashmiri wazwan blend with fennel, dried ginger and black cardamom, mild in heat.
Presented by ClearTrust Free for cooks, makers and the curious.
Kashmiri cooking, especially the festive multi-course wazwan, uses a distinct set of spices that rely on fennel, dried ginger and asafoetida, rather than onion and garlic in many Pandit dishes. Verinag masala is one such blend associated with the valley.
What goes in
- Kashmiri chilli320%, Colour.
- Fennel427%, Sweet.
- Dried ginger320%, Warmth.
- Black cardamom213%, Smoky.
- Cinnamon17%, Sweet.
- Clove17%, Pungent.
- Cumin17%, Earthy.
Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.
Made step by step
Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.
Step 1: Toast Gently dry roast the fennel and cumin. Step 2: Toast Toast the black cardamom seeds, cinnamon and clove. Step 3: Rest Cool the mixture. Step 4: Grind Grind with the dried ginger. Step 5: Blend Mix in the Kashmiri chilli powder. Step 6: Store Keep in a sealed jar. Finished Kashmiri masala (verinag), by share.
Valley flavours
Kashmiri red chilli gives colour more than heat. Fennel and dried ginger are used in powder form in dishes such as rogan josh. Saffron from Pampore is used in sweet dishes and tea.
Variation
Muslim and Pandit households cook with different spice balances, and blends differ among valleys and families.
Where it is used
The spices in it
Black cardamomSmoky.
FennelSweet.
GingerDried.
Chili pepperThe pungent berry of the Capsicum plant, used to add heat to dishes worldwide.
GingerThe pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.
CinnamonThe dried inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, prized for its sweet warmth and essential oil.
CloveThe dried flower bud of a tropical tree, prized for its intense warmth and numbing bite.
CuminThe dried seed of a small parsley-family herb, used whole or ground in many world cuisines.More on EveryMasala
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Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Clove: Bayu Nugroho, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chili pepper: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cinnamon: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black cardamom: Brian Arthur, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
- Cumin: Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ginger: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Ginger: Venkatx5, CC BY-SA 3.0, source