Vagharela Bhaatવઘારેલા ભાત
Last night's rice, tempered and tossed in the morning. Fifteen minutes, nothing wasted, and better than the rice was the first time.
Ingredients
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- 3 cups leftover rice
- 2 tbsp oil, mustard seeds, cumin, asafoetida, curry leaves
- 1 onion, 2 green chillies
- ½ tsp turmeric, salt
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
- Lemon and coriander
Method
- Loosen the rice with a fork.
- Temper oil with mustard seeds, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves.
- Fry the onion and chillies, then add the turmeric.
- Add the rice, salt and peanuts and toss gently on low heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Finish with lemon and coriander and serve with curd or pickle.
Tips
- Use cold rice; warm rice turns sticky.
- Lift and fold rather than stirring, so the grains stay whole.
Storing and reheating
Cooked rice spoils faster than most other leftovers, so eat vagharela bhaat within two or three hours or get it into the fridge, where it keeps a day. To reheat, flick a few drops of water over it in a pan, cover, and give it four minutes on low. Do not temper already tempered rice a second time; the grains break down.
What you can swap
- Cashews, roasted chana dal or a handful of sev on top can replace peanuts. You need something crunchy, because the rice tastes flat without it.
- If you do not eat onion, leave it out and compensate with extra curry leaves, a bigger pinch of asafoetida and a boiled potato cut small.
- To add peas, finely diced carrot or cabbage, fry them before the rice goes in. Added alongside the rice they stay raw.
- A pinch of red chilli powder and half a teaspoon of coriander-cumin powder with the turmeric turn this into a spicier version that is better with curd.
What to serve with it
This is the quick breakfast or dinner made from last night's rice, served with chaas, curd, papad and chhundo or pickle. In many Gujarati homes the day after dal-bhaat is understood to mean vagharela bhaat, because rice is not thrown away.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not tip clumped fridge-cold rice straight into the pan. Break the lumps apart with damp fingers first, or the tempering and salt never get inside them.
- Do not add the peanuts with the rice. Fry them in the tempering oil for half a minute first. That is what keeps them crunchy; added later they soften in the moisture of the rice.
- Do not toss it on high heat for long. The rice dries out and the grains turn rubbery. Low heat and four or five minutes is all it needs.
- Go light on the turmeric. More than half a teaspoon gives a harsh colour and a faintly bitter taste.
Questions people ask
Which rice works best for this?
Plain rice with separate grains, and leftover dal-bhaat rice from the night before is ideal. Basmati is fine too. Avoid sticky or overcooked rice, which turns to paste in the pan. Jeera rice or leftover pulav can be tempered as well, with the spices dialled back.
Why does mine turn dry and hard?
The heat was too high or there was not enough oil. Two tablespoons for three cups of rice is the minimum. If the grains already feel hard, sprinkle over two spoons of water, cover and steam for two minutes and they will soften.
Is this the same as fried rice?
No. Fried rice is tossed fast over high heat with soy sauce and vegetables. Vagharela bhaat is built on a Gujarati tempering of mustard seeds, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves, finished with lemon, and the flavour goes in a completely different direction.
