Masale Bhaat ~ Spicy Tindora Pulao

Today, I decided to make the famous masale bhat of Maharashtra. This is the marathi version of the popular vegetable pulao. This is so different from our regular vegetable pulao and is slightly on the spicier side. I had a newspaper cutting which had this recipe. But then I thought recipe from a blog will be more authentic and I chose the recipe from Ashwini's Food For Thought. She says this is a must for the wedding lunch and explains the wedding menu in detail. And positive feedback in the comment section of that recipe made me for this.  She had mentioned that traditionally, it is made using the 'ambe mohar' , short grain rice variety. And I wanted the authentic taste so bought that rice variety to try this. 

You need

• Short grain raw rice - 1 cup (ambe mohar is preferred)
• Ivy gourd/Tindora/Kovakkai - 1 cup, quartered
• Cashewnuts - 8-10 nos, broken
• Salt to taste
• Water - 2 cups

To temper

• Oil - 3 tblspn
• Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Green chillies - 2 nos, slit
• Hing - few shakes

Masala - To roast and grind

• Copra - 1/3 cup, grated
• Coriander seeds - 2 1/2 tblspn
• Cumin -  2 tspn
• Sesame seeds - 1 tblspn ( I used white)
• Cloves - 4 nos
• Cinnamon - 2 1 inch sticks

Method

Roast the ingredients for masala in a kadai till the copra turns brown. No oil is added while roasting. Cool and powder it. Keep it aside. 

Chop the tindora into quarters. Wash the rice in several changes of water till the water runs clear. Heat a kadai or cooker pan with 3 tablespoon of oil. Add mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter, add curry leaves, hing, cashew and slit green chillies. Then add the chopped tindora. Saute for few minutes till the tindora starts to change color. Add the rice and give a gentle mix. Then add the powdered masala. Mix well so that the masala coats the  rice and tindora well. Add salt and 2 cups of water. Cover with a lid and cook till the rice is well cooked and there is no moisture left. 

Fluff with fork and serve hot with a side of raita and papad. 

The rice was spicy and the tindora gives a nice flavor to the rice. You can reduce the masala to suit your spice levels. I would say add 3/4th of the masala, check and adjust. 

Do check out what my friends are cooking for the marathon.