Masala Bhaat is an authentic Maharashtan one pot meal. Filled with the goodness of vegetables and seasoned with aromatic and warm spices, always found served at weddings and special occasions, this is a flavorful dish. I remember devouring this rice preparation at a friends place, her mother would make this for every birthday lunch party I still remember how she would make the simplest meals taste so good. Here is my take on masala bhaat with a less spicy version for my taste, but feel free to spice it up.

1 Tbs oil

1 Tsp mustard seeds

1 Tsp cumin seeds 

1 Bay leaf 

1 1 inch  piece of cinnamon stick 

1 onion chopped 

1 inch ginger grated 

3 cloves of garlic chopped 

1/2 tsp red chilli powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1 green chilli (  or more if u want Spicy) 

1 tsp goda masala( a Marathi Garam masala ) you can get it in a Indian store or you may use any regular Garam masala, it will still taste great but will not be authentic.

Vegetables – 1 cup cauliflower florets , 

1/2  cup of carrots and peas each .

1/4th cup of raw peanuts or cashews.

1 cup raw rice 

2 cups water 

Salt to taste 

1 tbs ghee to drizzle 

Handful of grated coconut and cilantro to garnish ( optional ) 

Heat oil in a pan on a medium flame, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, bay leaf. Once all this starts popping add onions and sauté for a few mins until the edges are turning brown. Add the ginger, garlic and sauté for a minute. Once the raw smell of the ginger and garlic is gone while being careful not to burn, add all the dry spices and mix well, sauté for a few seconds and now add the vegetables, peanuts or cashews and sauté for a min. Cover this and cook for a couple minutes. Now add the washed rice, mix it well add water and salt. Stir everything gently once more and bring it to a boil, once it comes to a boil then cover and cook  on a low flame until the rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed. Serve hot with a drizzle of ghee and garnish with fresh grated coconut and cilantro. enjoy !