Goan Coconut Masala Rice Bake
This Goan coconut masala rice bake is the epitome of delicious Indian food. It’s a oven baked rice and veggie all in one pan recipe. The perfect recipe to meal prep, make ahead and enjoy all week! The Goan coconut masala sauce is perfect to store and use for up to a week with any vegetable or protein. A fantastic base to meal prep and save!
Today we’re headed to the west coast of India, to Goa specifically for coastal cuisine that is uniquely brilliant.
While Indian food is often homogenized into one thing, often through a colonial lens, it in fact has an unfathomable amount of diversity, technique and nuance that varies state to state and city to city.
What is commonly referred to as ‘Indian food’ including the naan, tikka masalas, saag etc. are all from one state, so it would be more appropriate to call them Punjabi food rather than Indian food 🙂
Indian food spans well beyond what most people recognize which is why it was so important to me to create this blog and share my heritage and culture through phenomenally tasty food and give all of Indian cuisine the stage that it truly deserves.
This Goan Coconut Masala is filled with flavors sour, sweet, spicy and savory; this incredibly fragrant and creamy bowl is a big hug. It has hints of mustard & tamarind along with coconut milk, ginger and a perfect combination of aromatic toasted whole spices. Typically made with seafood, I’ve made it vegan by using a few of my favorite vegetables. You could absolutely add in any plant-based meat substitute in here as well. Let’s get on with the recipe!
What you need to make Goan coconut masala rice bake
For the Masala Paste:
8-10 dried kashmiri red chillies
6 cloves garlic
1 tbsp finely minced ginger
1 tsp whole pepper
1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup freshly grated coconut
1 cup coconut milk
½ medium sized red onion
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 sprig or ~8-10 curry Leaves
To fry the masala:
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp mustard seeds
2 tsp salt
Putting together the bake:
2 cups cauliflower florets
1/2 cup edamame
handful of chopped cilantro
2 cups prepared goan masala sauce
2 cups cooked basmati rice (mine has turmeric added)
How to make Goan coconut masala rice bake
Preheat oven to 425 F
Making the masala paste:
Add all the ‘Masala Paste’ ingredients to a blender. Keep half a cup of water handy. Grind them to a smooth paste and use a few tablespoons of water at a time if necessary. The puree should be thick. Set this aside.
Heat a large kadai, wok, or a heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium heat. Add coconut oil. After a minute of pre-heating add mustard seeds. Once they start popping, pour in the masala paste mixture. Lower the heat to avoid too much splatter. Add in a few tablespoons of water along with salt.
On low to medium heat, simmer the masala 15-20 minutes till the color deepens and the spices release immense aroma.
Our masala sauce is done!
This sauce at this point can be stored and used for up to a week with any vegetable or protein. A fantastic base to meal prep and save.
Putting together the bake:
To a deep baking pan, add cauliflower, edamame, cilantro and a little sprinkle of salt. Pour a generous portion of the masala sauce over them, about two cups. You can adjust the sauciness of the dish per your preference. Bake for 15-20 minutes until veggies are tender and sizzling in sauce.
Remove the baking dish out of the oven, evenly layer on top the cooked basmati rice. Top with a few thinly sliced onions. Put back into the oven and bake for another 8 minutes and it’s done!
To serve them like I did, top with a dollop of vegan yogurt raita, pickled chillies & onions and fresh lemon wedges.
If you like this recipe, please rate it. And leave a comment when you try the recipe.
Also check out these recipes:
Unique South Indian Style Green Beans Recipe
Methi & Lemon Spiced Dal (IP recipe)
Vegan Stuffed Squash with Spiced ‘Ricotta’
Incredible Beans and Peas Masala
Refreshing Summer Pasta with Mint Pesto
