Makai or maize is one of the most popular food items in Nepal and Nepali households. Grown in almost all the regions of Nepal, the popularity of maize and its cuisines are not only limited to one part of the country but is spread around many. There are many varieties of cuisines to be made by maize such as grilled maize, boiled maize, fried maize, corn chili, makai ko roti, etc. and one among them is makai ko bhat (maize rice).

For the purpose of making rice, the maize is ground into tiny grains that resembles the kanika of rice grains. Makai ko bhat is popular dish to be prepared during the Ekadashi brata (fast). It is light, yet, it could gratify hunger and on the day when rice grains are not allowed to be eaten, makai ko bhat is cooked in the Nepali kitchen.

Cooking makai ko bhat is easy and you do not even require many ingredients. The process of cooking makai ko bhat is given below:

Ingredients:

Makai rice grains (makai ko chamal), water and ghee (clarified butter).

Procedure:

First of all, soak the rice grains in water for about half an hour to one hour so that it will become soft. Then, wash it and pour it in the boiling water adding some amount of clarified butter as well and close the lead of the pressure cooker.  After two to three whistles, the rice will be cooked. Let the air pressure go off by itself and then serve your makai ko bhat with pumpkin curry, curd and spiced gundruk or gundruk ko achar.