Masale Bhaat

What is Masale Bhaat?

Masale Bhaat is a traditional Maharashtrian one-pot rice dish. Masale translates to spices and Bhaat means rice. This spiced rice dish is typically served on festive occasions and is almost always the star of most traditional Maharashtrian wedding lunches! Masale bhaat is the second rice served after the varan-bhaat (simple lentils and rice) in the wedding lunch. You can easily say that this is a Maharashtrian version of pulav!

What is added in Masale Bhaat?

This dish involves cooking the rice with vegetables and cashews or peanuts and is predominantly seasoned with the Maharashtrian kala (black) or goda (sweet) masala. Every Maharashtrian household will have their secret kala/goda masala recipe. So try sourcing it from your Maharashtrian friends or relatives. But if not, this masala is readily available these days in most Indian grocery stores.

I use ghee instead of oil for the tempering and do not add onions or garlic. Ghee is the key, always! Then, I add whole and tempering spices like hinga and turmeric creating an aromatic base for whats to follow. At this point, I add the tondli. My Aai (mom) always added- tondli or ivy gourd and hence, I remain partial to it. Some vegetables traditionally added include potatoes, brinjals (eggplants), cauliflower, green peas. Feel free to use any vegetables or a combination of any of these vegetables. Another change I make to Masale Bhaat is the addition of chopped cashews and these are added before adding the rice.

Cooking the rice

Now for the star of this dish, the rice. This requires a slight processing before being used. I wash the rice three times to remove any impurities and excess starch. Then, I soak the rice in water for about ten minutes. I drain the water and then use this rice. Traditionally, short grain rice is used for Masale Bhaat such as Ambemohar or Basmati tukda (pieces). I, however, prefer the use of the long grained Basmati.

Flavoring and final cooking

Next is the addition of the goda masala which is the main flavoring spice for this dish. But before that, I add a little yoghurt (or lemon juice for a vegan option) The acid in the yoghurt or lemon juice helps keeps the rice grainy shiny while adding a little tang to the dish. Now, I add the goda masala, red chili powder and sugar and mix it gently, taking care not to break the rice grains.

Adding the hot water at the end ensures the temperature of the mixture does not drop. Since the temperature remains high, the rice cooks faster and the grains do not stick together due to longer cooking times. Garnish with cilantro leaves and grated coconut (if you like). The result is a hot, perfectly spiced, one pot meal that is naturally gluten-free to be enjoyed for lunch, dinner or as work/ school lunch.

Here is my recipe for this traditional Maharashtrian Masale Bhaat…

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MAHARASHTRIAN MASALE BHAAT

A traditional, vegetarian (can also be made vegan), gluten free Maharashtrian rice dish, typically served on special occasions such as festivals and weddings.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, Maharashtrian

Keyword: masale bhaat, rice, traditional

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 303kcal

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1- inch cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp hinga asefotida
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 10-12 cashews roughly chopped
• 1 cup tondli ivy gourd, cut lengthtwise
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tbsp kala/goda masala
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup rice soaked and drained
• 2 tbsp plain yoghurt beaten
• 2 cups boiling water
• salt to taste

Instructions

• Start by washing the rice (2-3 times) and soaking it in water for about 15-20 mins.
• Heat ghee (or oil for a vegan option a flat bottomed pan which has a lid.
• To this, add our whole spices- cinnamon, cloves and cumin seeds. Saute for a few seconds till the cumin seeds start to splutter.
• To complete the tadka (tempering), add hinga (asefotida, readily available in indian storeand turmeric powder.
• Add the chopped cashews. Stir around.
• Add the chopped ivy gourd.
• Season with salt, mix well, cover and cook for about 5 mins.
• After the ivy gourd cooks for 5 mins, drain the rice that has been soaking and add to the pan.
• Add the powdered spices- red chili powder, kala/goda masala and sugar.
• Mix well and add yoghurt (or lemon juice for a vegan option).
• Add boiling water (the ratio of rice: water is 1:2), mix well and season with salt to taste.
• Cover and cook on low to medium flame for about 15 mins until the rice is cooked through.
• Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves and/or freshly grated coconut. Serve hot!

Video

Notes

1. Since this is a one-pot dish, having a flat bottom pan will ensure an even heat transfer and therefore an even cook.

2. I cut it the ivy gourd lengthwise but you can cut rounds if you prefer, just keep the thickness same to ensure that it cooks evenly.

3. If you add any other vegetables, cut them to similar thickness so that they cook evenly.

4. This is traditionally made with a short grain rice, however I use basmati. Sona masuri is also a good substitute.

5. The acidity in the yoghurt or lemon juice ensures that the rice grains stay shiny. So add this while cooking.

You may also want to check out another very popular & simple traditional Maharashtrian dish – Batatyachya Kachrya (Potatoes Bhaji/ side dish)