Kolambi Bhaat is a spicy, delicious Maharashtrian one-pot meal. The dish has its roots in the Konkan region of the country. I came to know about this delicacy from an online article, then I tried it, and loved all the flavours & taste of the dish. Being a Bengali one pot rice-based meals are my weakness. And it’s a breeze to cook Kolambi Bhaat on busy weekdays, even it’s a great party food for a large group of people. The coconut milk here enhances the flavour profile of the spices used in Kolambi Bhaat. Rice grains beautifully blended with the traditional spices, and prawns always have their own unique taste which adds up another level to any food cooked with them. Over the years, the dish has become a favourite one in my Bengali family, and I often get a request to cook this on the weekends. I add some sugar at the end of cooking Kolambi Bhaat which is my Bengali addition to the dish. I believe sugar balances the overall spices well if added in a certain amount to any Indian Pulao. I’m sharing my version of Kolambi Bhaat below, and I hope you’ll enjoy cooking it. Do share your experience with me if you’re making the recipe. 🙂
Kolambi Bhaat
Cooked with Rice and Prawns as main ingredients Kolambi Bhaat is a spicy, delicious Maharashtrian one-pot meal. The dish has its roots in the Konkan region of the country.
Ingredients
- 2 cups- Basmati rice
- Medium sized 400g- Prawns (De-shelled and de-veined)
- 2-3- Green chilies (Slitted)
- 1 tsp- Garlic paste
- 1 tsp- Ginger paste
- 2 medium sized- Onions (finely chopped)
- 2 medium sized- Tomatoes (finely chopped)
- ½ tsp- Turmeric powder
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp- Coriander powder
- 1 tsp- Cumin powder
- ½ tsp- Goda masala
- ¼ tsp- Garam masala powder
- 2 cups- Coconut milk
- 1½ cup- Water
- For garnishing (chopped)- Coriander/Cilantro leaves
- 4-5 tbsp- Vegetable oil
- 1½ tbsp- Ghee/Clarified butter
- 2 tsp- Sugar (optional)
- ½ cup- Peas
- Salt to taste
For tempering
- 1- Star anise
- 2- Bay leaves
- 4 sprigs- Curry leaves
- ½ tsp- Cumin seeds
- 4- Green cardamom (lightly crushed)
- 1″ two pieces- Cinnamon stick
- 4- Cloves
- ½ tsp- Whole black peppercorn (lightly crushed)
Instructions
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Wash the rice 3-4 times under running water, drain, and keep aside.
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Mix the fresh prawns with salt, turmeric powder, and lemon juice. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan (nonstick preferably)and shallow fry the prawns for 2-3 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
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Now in the remaining oil temper with all the ingredients mentioned 'for tempering' stir for a few seconds, add the chopped onions, sauté the onions until light brown in colour.
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Next to add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 4-5 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes, green chilies, cumin powder, coriander powder, goda masala, and salt. With the help of spatula mash the tomatoes little bit. Saute over medium heat until the masala starts leaving oil.
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Now add the washed rice, mix well, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.
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Add coconut milk, mix again, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes, stir in between. Add water, peas, ghee, mix well. Cook uncovered over low heat until the rice is done. Keep stirring several times so that it cooks uniformly and the rice doesn’t form lumps. Mix in prawns, sugar, and garam masala powder when the rice is almost cooked.
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Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Remove from the heat. Keep it covered after the cooking to get the nice aroma when you are going to have it.
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Serve hot with raita, and green chutney.
Recipe Notes
During the cooking, if you feel the rice is drying up add some more water to moisten it.
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