How Many Cloves in Biryani and Pulao?

For a biryani with about 1 kg of meat or 2 to 3 cups of rice, 5 to 6 cloves in total is enough. For a simple pulao or ghee rice with 2 cups of rice, 3 to 4 does the job. Cloves are strong, so it's easier to start low and add more next time than to fix a pot that's gone too far.

Quick guide by dish

Where the cloves actually go

• In the ghee or oil: 3 to 4 cloves with the rest of the whole spices at the start.
• In the rice water: 1 to 2 cloves when parboiling rice for biryani.
• In the ground masala: some recipes grind 1 or 2 in with the garam masala.

Why it's easy to add too many

Cloves are heavy with eugenol, a strong aromatic oil with a slightly numbing, medicinal edge. Get the amount right and it adds depth. Go past it and the rice starts to taste like a dentist's chair. Cardamom is forgiving. Cloves are not.

Balancing cloves with the rest

A typical whole-spice mix in the ghee for a family biryani:

• 4 to 5 cardamom pods
• 3 to 4 cloves
• 1 piece cinnamon, 4 to 5 cm
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 star anise, optional

A rough rule that holds up: keep cloves at or just below the number of cardamom pods.

Fresh cloves need fewer

Fresh, oily cloves are noticeably stronger than ones that have sat around for a year. If you've just switched to a fresher pack, drop the count by one or two the first time and adjust from there.

Our Adimali cloves are whole buds from Idukki. For the rest of the biryani spice box, see our post on cardamom in biryani and the Kerala spice combo.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use ground cloves instead of whole?

You can, but use less, around a quarter teaspoon in place of 4 to 5 whole cloves, and add it later in the cooking. Ground clove releases its oil faster and can turn bitter if it cooks too long.

Should whole cloves be removed before serving biryani?

Most home cooks leave them in and warn people at the table to set them aside if they bite into one. If you're serving guests who might not expect it, tying the whole spices in a small cloth potli makes them easy to lift out before plating.