Masala Rice
When you are really under the gun at your day job (research) but cannot take any time off then it does feel as if you are in between a rock and a hard place.. What do y’all do in such a situation??? As for me I cook a big, one-pot meal and then spend the rest of the day roaming around, doing nothing (LAUGHS!!!). If that meal turns out to be a dish like “MASALA RICE” or “MASALE BHAT” as its locally called then that part about roaming around goes out of the window (LAUGHS!!!). All I want to do is sit at home and munch on this delicacy.
There are a bunch of major changes coming at work which is why things are absolutely crazy these days. I was hoping that this was going to be a quiet work week. The calm before the storm so to speak. OHH Y’all had absolutely no idea how wrong I was. That’s ENOUGH!!! I am going to stop whining about my work and talk about something good. With all the craziness at work I had decided that I was going to take my wife out this weekend and just have a good time.When a friend mentioned that tickets at the Dallas Gardens were going to be just a buck, I knew I had found the right place..
There was just one problem with my plan. With a bunch of festivals happening in this holy month we did not want to eat out. The good thing was it did not take long for me to come up with a solution in the form of a recipe which I haven’t had in many years. A dish that was a staple in my family on special occasions is the rich and decadent “MASALE BHAT”. It is a one pot meal wherein all you need to do is to add everything to a pressure cooker, wait 30 minutes and VOILA!!! A sumptuous meal is ready in no time..
“MASALA” means “SPICES” and “RICE” is called as “BHAT” in my home state of Maharashtra. So this dish literally means rice which has been flavored with lots of aromatic spices. The spices can be added whole or as part of a spice blend. This is what gives this dish its distinctive flavor. I have used the store bought version of one such spice blend called “GODA MASALA” in this recipe. If I wasn’t in such a hurry to go out then I would have made this myself (CHUCKLES!!!). I do not need to tell y’all that nothing tastes and smells better than a freshly made spice blend.
Lets get our one pot of deliciousness going SHALL WE!!!
Rinse the rice, drain the water and set aside for an hour. Also keep a paste of green chili, ginger and cumin seeds ready.
Melt ghee in a pressure cooker,add cashews and roast till golden. Now add carrots, beans and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Y’all can add any veggies of your choice. Stir in the green chili paste and goda masala. Finally mix in rice, peas, yogurt, salt and hot water. Cover the pressure cooker and cook on low flame for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve hot. Garnish with cilantro, more cashews (I did that because I couldn’t resist!!) and shredded coconut.
Dishes like this are typically served at special occasions in my home state. But I do not believe in waiting. So I make everyday a special occasion by making delicacies like MASALA RICE & “CHOCOLATE BASUNDI” whenever I want..
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Masala Rice
Ingredients
- 1½ cup Basmati Rice
- 2 Green Chilies
- ¼ inch Ginger
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tbsp Ghee/Clarified Butter
- 2 Carrots julienne
- 1 cup Beans
- ¼ cup Cashews
- ¼ cup Frozen Peas
- 2 tsp Goda Masala
- 2 tbsp Yogurt
- 3 cups Hot Water
- Shredded coconut Cilantro for garnish
- Salt as per taste
Instructions
- Rinse the rice, drain the water and set aside for an hour
- Make a paste of green chili, ginger and cumin seed.
- In a pressure cooker melt ghee, add cashews and roast till golden. Now add carrots, beans and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in green chili paste and goda masala.
- Add rice, peas, yogurt, salt, hot water and mix well.
- Cover the pressure cooker and cook on low flame for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve hot. Garnish with cilantro, cashews and shredded coconut.
Yummy recipe. Nice to see that you get through with work an blog elegantly. I also get stressed up. Btw where are you working and in which field
Thanks Smitha. As for me I am working in academia, working in a lab as a cancer researcher…
Because I am dieheart rice lover I always hunting for rice variations… I very much like this variation and planning to make this in my dinner today…
This is one of my all-time favorite dishes Priya. Been eating it since I was a kid.. 🙂
The seasoning on this rice sounds delicious!
It is very unique to my hometown David. So its been a favorite of mine for a long time..
I just love making dishes I grew up eating! This looks so flavorful and delicious!!
Me too Liz. The only difference is that I need to put in a little more effort to cook it myself.. 🙂
Can you give the recipe of goda masala?
Here are the ingredients for the masala; dessicated coconut, red chillies, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, green cardamom, black cardamom, black pepper, bay leaf, coriander seeds, cumin seeds. I adjust the quantities according to taste..
You always give me great ideas for how to make side dishes SO much more interesting – this looks delectable!
Thank you so much Kate. This is something I grew up eating and I could never get enough every time my mom made it.. 🙂
You give a new meaning to having a crazy work week! Bring on the crazy, this Masala rice has my back! 🙂
As far as I am concerned food makes everything better. So what better way to deal with a crazy work week then by cooking up a rich, luscious dish that I have grown up on.. 🙂
Wow. This looks amazing. So much flavor! Thanks so much.
It is the spice blend that really makes this dish John. We usually reserve this delicacy for special occasions.. 🙂
Love one pot meal! This one looks so comforting. I am craving for masala rice now.Must make soon.
Do try it Balvinder. It tastes delicious and is quick and easy to make..
I love the combination of the spicy rice with veggies and coconut in this masala rice. Sounds and looks super delicious, Rahul.
It sure is Anu which is why I haven’t stopped eating it since i was a kid.. 🙂
Very delicious and comforting!
Thank You Angie..