Varan Bhat

Varan Bhat

Varan Bhat

Veg

Plain toor dal with rice and ghee — toor dal pressure-cooked until completely soft, mashed smooth with turmeric, salt, and a tempered seasoning of mustard seeds, asafoetida, and a squeeze of lime, served over plain boiled rice with a spoonful of pure ghee poured over the surface. No spice paste, no onion, no tomato — the varan bhat is the satvik (pure, simple) foundational meal of Maharashtra's Brahmin kitchens, present at every auspicious occasion and family meal as the baseline preparation that everything else accompanies. The first course of every Maharashtrian festival meal; the food served to infants as their first introduction to solid food; the meal eaten on Ekadashi and other fasting days. The quality of the ghee — ideally home-made from desi cow's milk — is the single variable that distinguishes a memorable varan bhat from a merely adequate one.

Cuisines

Malvani Vidarbha Kolhapuri Maharashtrian

Best for

Lunch Dinner

Recipe

Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min Total: 60 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
1 teaspoon ghee
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons freshly grated coconut
5-6 curry leaves
2 cups water
2 cups basmati rice
— salt to taste

Instructions

  1. 1 Wash the toor dal thoroughly and soak it in water for 15 minutes.
  2. 2 Drain the dal and add it to a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water, turmeric powder, and a pinch of asafoetida.
  3. 3 Pressure cook the dal for 3-4 whistles or until it becomes soft and mushy.
  4. 4 In a separate pan, heat ghee and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add cumin seeds, remaining asafoetida, and curry leaves.
  5. 5 Add the cooked dal to the pan and mix well. Add salt to taste and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
  6. 6 Stir in freshly grated coconut and let it cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
  7. 7 Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes.
  8. 8 In a pot, bring water to a boil and add the soaked rice. Cook until the rice is soft and fluffy.
  9. 9 Serve the varan (dal) hot with steamed rice (bhat).

Tips

For extra flavour, you can add a pinch of sugar to the dal while simmering.