Heat a frying pan on medium flame and put ¼ cup of dry coconut in it. Stir and roast it for about a minute. Remove it on a plate and keep it aside.

Then, in the same pan, put in 1 tsp of sesame seeds, 1 tsp of coriander seeds, 1 tsp of caraway seeds (shah jeera), 1 piece of bay leaf, 2 pieces of cinnamon sticks (each 1-inch size), 3 pieces of cloves, 1 piece of star anise, 2 pieces of cardamom, and 4 pieces of black peppercorns. Roast them on a low flame as well and remove them on the same plate when you smell their aroma. Let these spices cool down a bit.

Now, transfer them all to a mixer and blend them nicely.

Now, heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a pan on a medium flame. When the oil is hot, add 1 tsp of cumin seeds and ½ tsp of mustard seeds (rai) to it and sauté them until they stop spluttering.

At this stage, add ½ cup of potato (cut in small cubes) to it and sauté them for a minute or so. Then, add ¼ cup of cauliflower florets and sauté very nicely. Finally, add ¼ cup of capsicum (cut in small cubical pieces) and sauté on a medium flame.

Now, add 1.5 tsp of grated ginger and ¼ cup of finely chopped tomatoes to it. Cook them on a medium flame until all the veggies turn soft.

Then, add 1 cup of washed, soaked, and drained rice to it followed by ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, ½ tsp of red chili powder, and the ground spices made earlier. Mix everything very nicely and then add 3 cups of water to it along with 1.5 tsp of salt and give it a nice mix. When it comes to a boil, cover the pan and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes on a low flame.

In the meantime, in a separate pan, heat 1 tsp of ghee (clarified butter) and roast 1 tbsp of broken cashew nuts in it.

Now, remove the lid from the pan, check and gently fluff up the rice when done. Now, add the roasted cashew nuts to it along with 1 tbsp of finely chopped coriander leaves.

Your tasty and healthy masala bhat is ready. Transfer it to a plate, sprinkle some more chopped coriander leaves and enjoy.