Ingredients needed 🧾
How to make it 🔪
You can also watch this recipe video on my Instagram. You can add ingredients like whole spices, different spice mixes, and herbs like red pepper flakes, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, or dried parsley, sauces like soy, veggies, aromatics like garlic, lemon juice, ginger, peppers, leeks, scallion, onions, or zest, and fat like butter or ghee. Bhat is very customizable and it absorbs all the flavors easily. You can customize it according to your palate. Simply put, add any kind of seasoning to plain rice more savory, flavorful, and appetizing. It comes together easily. This particular dish is the Indian or desi version of quick-fried rice. A staple of Maharashtrian cuisine, it’s made in almost every household. Phodnicha/Fodnicha Bhat (Paratlela bhat) is an authentic Indian recipe that’s popularly served for breakfast or snacks. It is mainly made using leftover cooked rice. The ingredients used in this recipe are very similar to Kanda Poha. In Marathi, Phodi/Fodni means tadka or tempering and Bhat/Bhaat/Bhath means rice. So, it’s bhaat tempered with whole spices, spice mixes, aromatics, and veggies. Easy Indian-style seasoned rice recipes like these are known by different names like tadka bhat, masala bhaat, Indian fried rice, or curry rice. It’s a very simple fuss-free vegan recipe that I grew up eating and is one of my favorite Indian spiced rice recipes. Veggies - red or white onions are all that you need. Typically tomatoes are not added to this Maharashtrian rice! But you can add green peas, carrots, and bell peppers if you want to make this recipe more wholesome. Nuts - cashews, and peanuts are the two types of nuts used in fodni bhat. They give this tempered bhat recipe a crispy nutty flavor. Aromatics and spices - curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, garlic (don’t skip), green chillies, turmeric powder, and cilantro are the essential ingredients you will need to make this Indian-flavored tempered rice recipe. They add a depth of flavor to Indian dishes like these. Special ingredient - Malvani masala is a special spice blend used in Malvani cuisine. Adding this masala to phodnicha bhat elevates the flavors and aroma of the dish. It also gives the flavored rice a beautiful red-orange hue. Malvani masala can be homemade or store-bought. I also use this masala to make Malvani Tikhat Dal. It tastes so good. Read notes for substitutions.
More rice recipes
Recipe 📖
Since I didn’t add potatoes to this desi fried rice, I like to serve it with a side of Potato Curry or fries sometimes. If you find the dish a bit spicy, a glass of sweet lassi or chaas can be a soothing after-meal drink. Phodnicha Bhaat is mainly served for breakfast (using the previous night’s leftover bhaat) or as an evening snack with chai or coffee. You can also pack this seasoned fried rice in lunchboxes or serve it as a meal for lunch or dinner. Make this phodni bhat when you’re craving something delicious but are too lazy to cook an elaborate meal. If allergic to nuts, skip the peanuts and cashews. Instead, add a tablespoon of chana dal and urad dal while tempering to give the bhat that extra crunch. You can also make this bhaat without any vegetables. There is no need to cook it for long after the bhat is added to the pan. Once cooked, if you feel the dish is too dry, sprinkle some water, mix, and keep it covered. Stir occasionally to avoid the grains sticking to the bottom of the pan. Skip adding onions, garlic, and ginger if you want to make Maharashtrian Fodni Bhaat Jain.
