Masala bhath (Maharashtrian delight)

Number of servings: 4-5

How long it takes: 60 minutes

This is a Maharashtrian delicacy which I had at my sister’s place a couple of times. It is ideal when you don’t feel like preparing 3 different items – rice, dal and curry. It can be a healthy one pot meal if you adjust the proportion to make it more vegetables/dal and less rice. Have it plain or with tomato/onion salad.

What you need to have:

1. Basumati rice – 1 cup

2. French beans – 1 cup

3. Cauli flower – 1 cup

4. Carrots chopped – 1/2 cup

5. Potato chopped – 1/2 cup

6. Green peas – 1 cup

Fresh chopped vegetables

Basumati rice

Ingredients of seasoning:

1. Chopped onions – 1 cup

2. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

3. Garam masala powder – 1/2 teaspoon (home made)

4. Goda masala powder – 2 Teaspoons

5. Curry leaves – 2-3 sprigs

6. Slit green chili – 4-5

7. Cashews – A handful

8. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

9. Salt – as needed

10. Cooking oil or ghee – 1 tablespoon

Ingredients of seasoning

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and drain water from basumati rice and keep it aside on a plate so that it is dry and fine as shown in image-2.

2. Place a cooker with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in it on medium flame.  On heating add cumin seeds to it.  Once it splutters add slit green chili, curry leaves and cashews to it and fry till done.

Seasoning in progress

3. When done, add chopped onion and required quantity of salt to it and fry till transparent.

Chopped onions being fried 

4. When done, add turmeric powder, goda masala powder, garam masala powder and give a stir.  Finally add all chopped veggies and give a stir for about a minute simmering the flame.(depending upon your burner

                                               Chopped veggies being added

5. Finally add washed and drained basumati rice from step-1 to it and give a strong stir

Basumati rice being added

6. Add required quantity of water and cook on simmering the flame for about 30 minutes.

Masala bhath ready to be cooked

Ingredients of garnishing:

1. Fresh grated coconut – a handful

2.Chopped cilantro – a handful

Ready to serve Masala bhath is as shown in the image below. Garnish it with chopped cilantro!!!

Ready to serve Masala bhath

Good to remember:

1. Basumati rice is best suited for this dish.

2. The dish can be cooked on high flame and then placed on a tawa for about 20 minutes for the dish to cook further. Of if you are used to cooking such items in the cooker itself on low flame then you can do that as well.