Name: Dalimbi Bhaat
Prep time: 2880 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 5790 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ¾ cup Basmati Rice, washed and soaked for 20 mins; ½ cup Sprouted Field Beans, surti vaal, sprouted and peeled; ½ Onion, finely chopped; ⅛ cup Fresh Coconut, grated, for garnish; ¾ tbsp Goda Masala, traditional Maharashtrian spice mix; ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ½ tbsp Jaggery, gud, balances the spice; ½ tsp Mustard Seeds; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; ⅛ tsp Asafoetida, hing; 5 Curry Leaves; 1½ tbsp Peanut Oil; 1½ cup Water, hot; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

96 hr 30 mintotal

48 hr 30 min hands-on48 hr hands-off

Prep 48 hr · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

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Method

Command a heavy-gauge pan or kadhai, bringing the rich groundnut oil to a volatile temperature. Introduce the mustard seeds, forcing an immediate, aggressive splutter.
Quickly add the cumin seeds, a good pinch of asafoetida (hing) and fresh curry leaves. Sauté briefly to release their aroma.
Add the finely chopped onions to the hot oil. Cook them until they lose their crunch and turn soft and translucent.
Add the peeled, sprouted vaal (field beans) to the pan. Fry them for 2-3 minutes. This brief roasting firms up the delicate beans so they hold together during the boil.
2–3 min
Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and the goda masala. Toss well so every bean is coated in the spices.
Drain the soaked rice thoroughly. Add the drained grains to the pan and fold them very gently through the spiced beans for 2 minutes, taking care not to break them.
2 min
Pour in the measured hot water. Add the salt and the crushed jaggery, which balances the spice. Stir carefully to combine.
Bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Turn the heat right down, cover the pot tightly, and leave it to simmer undisturbed for 15-18 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice grains are cooked through.
15–18 min
Turn the heat off completely and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
5 min
Aerate the masterpiece gently. Carpet bomb the surface with a lavish application of freshly grated coconut and vibrantly chopped coriander prior to immediate service.

How to tell it's done

The rice grains should be soft but separate, running through beans that are tender and skinless and break down into a creamy, savoury-sweet paste as soon as you bite them.

Getting it right

Tip

Goda masala is what this dish is built on. Ordinary shop-bought garam masala will not give you its sweet, smoky, deeply toasted coconut flavour, and without it the dish stops being dalimbi bhaat.

What to serve it with

A hearty, rustic Maharashtrian staple. Serve it piping hot with a cooling glass of mattha (spiced buttermilk) or a thick spoonful of yogurt, and crisp papad alongside.

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Ingredients