AI-generated image
Bagara khana
Spiced tempered rice
بگھارا کھانا: Hyderabad's plain spiced rice, tempered with whole spices, mint and fried onion and cooked on dum
Ask for rice at a Hyderabadi wedding or Eid dawat and, if it is not biryani, it will be bagara khana: long-grain basmati cooked in a bagar (tempering) of ghee, shahi jeera, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaf, with sliced onion, ginger-garlic, green chillies, mint and coriander. It has no vegetables or meat in it at all; it is the plain partner for rich, sour gravies like dalcha (lentils with bottle gourd), mirchi ka salan and bagara baingan, and every Old City household eats it on Sunday. Each grain should be long, separate and fragrant, glossy with ghee and flecked with green. The common mistake is too much water, which makes it mushy; measure 1¾ cups of water for each cup of soaked rice and finish on dum. Chef's tip: add a squeeze of lemon to the boiling water; it keeps the basmati white and stops the grains breaking.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rice
- 10 ½ oz basmati ricewashed and soaked 30 minutes
- 2 ¼ cups waterhot
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
For the bagar
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 cinnamon stick5 cm
- 4 cloves
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 3 green chilliesslit
- ½ oz mint leavesa handful
- ⅓ oz fresh corianderchopped
To serve
- 2 tbsp fried onions (birista) (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp ghee and 1 tbsp oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp caraway or black cumin (shahi jeera), 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves and 4 green cardamom pods and let them sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.
1 minStep 2: Add 1 onion and fry for 6–7 minutes, stirring, until golden brown.
7 minStep 3: Stir in 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste and 3 green chillies and cook for 1 minute until the raw smell goes. Add ½ oz mint leaves and ⅓ oz fresh coriander and stir for 30 seconds until wilted.
2 minStep 4: Drain the 10 ½ oz basmati rice and add it to the pot. Stir gently for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in ghee.
2 minStep 5: Pour in 2 ¼ cups water with 1 ¼ tsp salt and 1 tsp lemon juice. Bring to a boil on a high heat and cook uncovered for 4–5 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed and small holes appear on the surface.
5 minStep 6: Cover tightly (seal the lid with foil or a damp cloth), put the pot on a tawa over the lowest heat and cook on dum for 12 minutes.
12 minStep 7: Turn off the heat and rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, scatter over 2 tbsp fried onions (birista) and serve with dalcha or mirchi ka salan.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bagara khana take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of basmati rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sabudana khichdiSago with peanuts and potato
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.
Bagara bainganBaby aubergines in peanut sesame sauce
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.
Masala khakhraCrisp roasted wheat crackers
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.