Lunch Menu - Masale Bhaat

Today am posting a simple yet mouth-watering lunch menu.  The combination that I have put together is that of, masale bhaat (masala rice), Dry Potato Subzi, rasam, and for sweet dish made aamras (mango pulp).  There is also rawa kesari here, since I made this combo meal on Satyanarayan puja day.

Starting with the recipes, the first one being MASALE BHAAT.  This is a Maharashtrian rice preparation.  A must have at all Maharashtrian weddings.  There are many variations to this wonderful spicy rice dish.  Here I have made this according to our preferences.  So my version of the recipe goes like this

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

INGREDIENTS:

Rice	½ cup
Tendli (Ivy gourd)	15 (slit into 4 pieces)
Salt	As per preference
Water	2 cups (to cook rice)
Coriander leaves	To garnish
Grated coconut	1 tbsp (to garnish)
Green Peas	A handful
Cashew nuts	15-20 for garnish

To dry roast:

Black Pepper	6 nos	Dry red chillies	4
Big cardamom	1 no	Green cardamom	2 nos
Cinnamon	1 inch	Star anise	1 no
Cloves	3-4 nos	Stone flower (dagad phool)	2 nos
Coriander seeds	1½ tsp	Coconut	2 tbsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp

To temper:

Oil/Ghee	2 tbsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Bay leaf	1 no

METHOD:

1.      In a vessel (kadai, wok) dry roast the black pepper cinnamon and cloves together for a minute.  Keep them on a plate.  Then roast separately, the coriander seeds, cumin seeds.   (Roast them for a minute or two or till they get a very light golden colour on them).  Roast the green cardamom, big cardamom, star anise and stone-flower together for a minute. Roast the chillies till they puff up.  Lastly roast the coconut to a dark brown colour.

2.      Let this mixture cool.  Then dry grind it to a very fine powder.

3.      In a pressure cooker, add oil/ghee (keep this on a medium low flame).  Add cumin seeds.  Let them splutter.  Add the bay leaf.

4.      Then add the slit ivy gourd (tendli), Green peas and saute it for 2 mins.  Add the rice.

5.      Saute the rice for a minute.  Add the ground masala to it and mix well.  Add salt

6.      Add 2 cups of water to the rice and close the lid and keep this one high flame.  Cook this for one whistle.  Then let it simmer for 5 minutes on low flame.

7.      Once the pressure goes, transfer the rice in a serving dish and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves and grated coconut along with ghee roasted cashews nuts.  Enjoy this lovely rice preparation.

NOTES:

1.      I have given the quantity of ingredients which serves two people.  Kindly increase the quantity when making for more number of people.

2.      I have used fresh coconut here.  You can use dry coconut (kopra).  It will give a wonderful taste to the dish.

3.      Adding water completely depends on the rice.  So please add accordingly (how you would normally cook your daily rice).

I will be making different posts for the other recipes in this combo meal.  So keep looking as the recipes will be posted ASAP.