Gola Bhaat | Nagpur Special Recipe

12 Dec Gola Bhaat | Nagpur Special Recipe

Gola bhaat is a traditional recipe from Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.  Golas (Balls) of besan are cooked with rice that is mildly spiced. Hence the name Gola bhaat. It is a variation of popular masale bhaat of Maharashtra. It is a one pot meal and simple & easy to make dish.

Maharashtrian cuisine has its own distinctive attributes, while sharing much with other Indian cuisines. Traditionally, Maharashtrians consider their food to be more austere than others. Meat was traditionally used sparsely or only by the well off because of economic conditions and culture. Their traditional staple food is usually Bhakri made of Jowar or Bajra, spiced & cooked vegetables, dal and rice. Very simple and delicious.

Besan or chickpea flour plays an imminent role in Indian cuisine. Our ancestors were wise enough to appreciate the health benefits of besan and used it in many things ranging from chilas & koftas to facial exfoliant packs for beautifying. Besan has protein and fibre in abundance.

This recipe as the name suggests has spiced balls of besan cooked with the rice. By the time cooking is complete, both rice and besan golas absorb the flavours of each other and emerge a winner. You can either break the golas and mix with the rice or have them whole with the rice. This is a satwik food that does not use onion or garlic. Its simplicity and the typical rustic style is what makes is stand out. Its an unique dish in that respect. True to its rustic form, you normally serve it with simple buttermilk tempered with healthy ingredients such as cumin seeds and asafoetida.

Do try this delicious recipe and drop a comment for me. Do not forget to like, share and subscribe.

For more such interesting recipes from Maharashtra region, please click here

Print Recipe

Gola Bhaat | Nagpur Special Recipe

Gola bhaat is a traditional recipe from Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. Golas (Balls) of besan are cooked with rice that is mildly spiced. Hence the name Gola bhaat. It is a variation of popular
masale bhaat of Maharashtra. It is a one pot meal and simple & easy to make dish.

Prep Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

rice soaking time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Maharashtrian

Servings: 6 people

Author: Rama G

Ingredients

• For the Rice
• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 broken dry red chillies
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp lime juice
• salt to taste
• 2¼ cups water
• For the Gola
• 1 cup besan (chickpea flour / kadalai maavu)
• 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain/ ova / omam)
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp ginger chilli paste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• asafoetida
• 1 tbsp curd (I used peanut curd)
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
• salt to taste
• water as needed
• Tempering
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 3 to 4 dry red chillies
• asafoetida

Instructions

• Soak the rice in enough water for about 30 minutes and drain completely.
• Dry roast besan on a low flame till it loses raw smell and remove in a bowl.
• Add all ingredients one by one.
• Add very little water (just enough to get binding) and make a stiff dough.
• Take small ball of dough, roll as lightly as possible and give the shape of your fingers. Make more Golas similarly.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and dry red chilli.
• Once they are done, add the asafoetida, turmeric powder, salt, drained rice and stir-fry for 1 minute.
• Add water and the lime juice.
• Cover and cook on a low flame.
• When the rice is half-done add the goals into the cooking rice.
• Push the golas gently to be covered with rice.
  
• Cover and cook further while mixing occasionally. 
• When the rice and the golas are completely cooked, turn off the heat. 
• Heat oil and add the tempering ingredients.
• When they are done, pour over the Gola Bhaat.
• Serve hot with buttermilk tempered with cumin seeds and coriander leaves.

Video

Notes

1. To check if a gola is cooked, just use a spoon to break one. It should not be raw. If you feel they are not cooked enough, add a little hot water to the rice and cook covered.
2. Goals should be firm but not too tight. If they are not firm, they might disintegrate while cooking. If they are too tight they may remain raw while cooking in rice.
3. Add the golas when the rice is half-done. This gives them enough time to cook.
4. If you prefer, you can break or lightly crush the golas and mix through the rice while serving