The veggies you'll choose for this recipe will influence the flavor, so keep that in mind. That said, you have some leeway to mix and match and sub keeping your own preferences in mind. I like using eggplant and tendli or ivy gourd, both veggies that I remember were always used in the versions of Masale Bhath I ate. I didn't have either when I made it this time, so I went with cauliflower, carrots and potatoes, and I threw in a zucchini to replace the ivy gourd. It all worked out quite well. Masale Bhath is usually made with Kolam rice, which has medium-sized grains that don't clump when cooked. Basmati is a perfectly fine substitute, and it's the rice I use. For the masale bhath, you don't need to soak the rice, but you do need to wash it, either by putting it in a strainer and running cold water over it for a minute or so, or by placing it in a bowl and washing it in two or three changes of water. This will remove excess starch, reducing the chances of the rice grains sticking to each other when cooked. Usually, Masale Bhath would be cooked with ghee because it's a special dish. But coconut oil is a fine vegan substitute. Coconut is a food widely eaten in Maharashtra, and there's coconut in this recipe, so it fits in quite well. You need Goda Masala for this recipe, but at a pinch, you can substitute with Garam Masala. If you do that, make a separate powder that you can add to the recipe along with the garam masala: toast 2 tsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp poppy seeds, 1 tsp cumin and 2 tbsp coconut on a dry skillet until lightly brown, then blend into a powder and use. Make sure, after adding water to the sauteed spices, veggies and rice, that the water in the saucepan tastes a little saltier than you'd like your food to be. Once the water has boiled and you cover the saucepan with a lid to let the rice cook, don't be tempted to peek or give it a stir. Let the rice cook undisturbed for 15 minutes, and then let it stand for 10 more minutes for the best results. After removing the lid, fluff up the rice grains with a fork, if possible, so they remain separate.