Masale Bhat

My mom belonged to the Alphonso-gold state of Maharashtra and as a result I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Marathi foods like Kande Pohe, Puran Poli, Varan Bhat and Sabudana Khichdi. One of my all-time favorite foods, one that’s considered so special it’s almost always on any Maharashtrian wedding menu, is this Masale Bhat. The food of Maharashtra, much like its people, is complex with an undertone of sweetness and a salt-of-the-earth approach that lends itself easily both to home cooking and the state’s famous street foods like Pav Bhaji, Misal Pav and Vada Pav. This Masale Bhat I am sharing with you is drawn from the many versions of this complex but delicious dish I ate growing up, at weddings and celebrations, where it was a mandatory presence on the menu. If you’ve never eaten a Masale Bhat before, you’re in for a treat. This is an extremely healthy dish, with lots of veggies and rice married together with a spice mix unique to Maharashtra, called Goda Masala, or “sweet masala”. That may sound like an oxymoron, but what it really means is that it includes, in addition to spices, some elements that are nutty and sweet, like coconut, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and fennel. You can buy goda masala online or at any Indian store, but if you can, I’d strongly advise you make your own. That’s because I’ve often found the coconut goes rancid in storebought versions, and the couple of times I actually bought this masala, I had to throw it out without using it. Making goda masala at home is quite easy and you can find my goda masala recipe on my DIY spice mixes page. For those who’d rather buy it, I’ll add an affiliate link in the recipe box below. Remember to refrigerate it in an airtight jar because the coconut can go rancid over time.

Tips for making masale bhat

I like using eggplant and tendli or ivy gourd, both veggies that I remember were always used in the versions of Masale Bhat I ate. I didn’t have either when I made it this time, so I went with cauliflower, carrots and potatoes, and I threw in a zucchini to replace the ivy gourd. It all worked out quite well. Masale Bhath is usually made with Kolam rice, which has medium-sized grains that don’t clump when cooked. Basmati is a perfectly fine substitute, and it’s the rice I use. You don’t need to soak the rice in advance, but you do need to wash it to remove excess starch and prevent clumping. You can do this in a strainer or by placing it in a bowl and washing it in two or three changes of water. Masale Bhat is often cooked in ghee because it’s a dish for special occasions. Coconut oil is a fine vegan substitute. Coconut is a food widely eaten in Maharashtra, and there’s coconut in this recipe, so it fits in quite well. If you can’t source goda masala, you can substitute with garam masala. Then toast 2 teaspoon sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon poppy seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin and 2 tablespoon coconut on a dry skillet until lightly brown, blend into a powder and add that too to the masale bhat along with the garam masala. Make sure, after adding water to the sauteed spices, veggies and rice, that the water in the saucepan tastes a little saltier than you’d like your food to be. Once the water has boiled and you cover the saucepan with a lid to let the rice cook, don’t be tempted to peek or give it a stir. Let the rice cook undisturbed for 15 minutes, and then let it stand for 10 more minutes for the best results. After removing the lid, fluff up the rice grains with a fork so they remain separate.