I am back from a weekend of food and fun in Pune. There is a sudden chill in the weather here; the nippy, foggy mornings making it all the more difficult to get back to work on a Monday morning! We love this season for the bounty of veggies that it offers. The farmer’s market is flooded with variety of colorful veggies, rarely found during the rest of the year. So, many of my recipes this season, will be celebrating winter vegetables. One such recipe is Masale bhaat. The veggies which go into this spicy Rice are available year round. But they lack the freshness and color that this season offers.
Here’s a spicy Rice (Masale Bhaat) recipe perfect for the weather.
Masale Bhaat is a classic Maharashtrian Rice cooked with seasonal vegetables and spices. Masale Bhaat is a popular dish for many festive fares in Maharashtra. The ivy gourd (Tindora/Tondli) used in this rice is the key ingredient apart from the spices used, to lend its distinctive flavour. Rest of the vegetables can be substituted depending on the availability.
Wach house hold has a variation to the basic Masale Bhaat recipe. Here’s how I make it:
- 2 cups long grain rice washed
- 10 - 12 Tindora/Tondli(Ivy Gourd) cut lengthwise
- 2 small brinjals sliced
- 1 - 2 carrots peeled and cubed (or any other vegetable of choice
- 1 potato washed, peeled and cubed
- 2 tsp Goda Masala
- salt
- 1 teaspoon green chilli paste or red chilli powder
- 4 cups water
- 2-3 cloves 1-2 bay leaves
- 2-3 Black Peppercorns
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- freshly scrapped coconut and chopped coriander leaves for garnish
- Heat oil in the pressure cooker (or in a pan if you are cooking in a a pan on the stove top or using a rice cooker)
- Add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
- Add the cumin seeds, turmeric and the whole spices.
- Add the veggies,rice and saute for 1 minute
- Add Kala Masala,chilli paste/powder and mix well.
- Add salt and water and bring to a boil.
- Pressure cook till the rice is soft (1 whistle and 10 minutes on sim-the grains should be separate ) Alternatively, you can cook in a covered in a pan on the stove top
- Garnish with coconut, coriander and a generous dollop of ghee! Serve hot
I totally agree with you on chill weather here in Pune, esp today after this long weekend when I peeked out @ foggy morning, I just wanted to roll back in my blanket 😀
Loved the delectable masale bhat, btw what is Kala Masala?
Use goda masala which is easily available.
Kovaikai in rice? Noted it down..masala based rice is welcome any day esp if its chilly..
What is kala masala? Is it available pre-packaged ot homemade?The bhaat must smell good with all the different spices.It is a new recipe to me.
surprisingly today I posted masale bhath on my blog..very tasty dish..nice clicks.We use goda masala in it.
I have exactly 10 tondli in the refrigerator … this is what I call serendipity 😀 Totally envy you for spending a weekend in my hometown 🙁 For now your delicious recipe for Masale bhaath will provide some much needed solace 🙂
this looks so yum,..feel like eating this right now,..
Kanchan: Thanks.Kala masala is a typical Maharshtrian spice blend and is almost similar to Goda Masala (the amount of ingredients changes). You can see a version of the Goda/Kala masala her:http://bhaatukli.blogspot.com/2007/04/maharashtrian-kaala-masala.html
Sowjanya:Me too. Love spicy rice in this weather
Ramya: Yep the bhaat smells heavenly. See the link above or for radymade see this:http://www.pravinmasale.com/products/ProductDetails.asp?ID=9
Deepa: Yours looks divine too. Goda/Kala..ithink they are interchangeable! 🙂
Sheetal: 🙂 Remember my college days when I visit pune!
Notye100: Thanks
Masale Bhath reminds me of all the marathi weddings I have attended.. so delish…. wow you took me back to India and the weddings…
Looks perfectly tasty and delicious.
Tindora is perhaps one vegetable I have not made a rice out of. With this recipe we won’t leave it that way for long.
Have Masale Bhat with Pickle or curd
thanks