Bisi Bele Bath (Karnataka Style)
Bisi Bele Bath is a Karnataka-style one-pot meal made with rice, toor dal, mixed vegetables, tamarind, and a special spice blend. It is finished with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chilies, asafoetida, and ghee. This hearty and slightly tangy dish is served hot with papad, wafers (chips) or boondi.
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice ((I used sona masuri rice))
- 1/4 cup peanuts (- raw)
- 1/4 tsp rock salt ((edible and food grade) or regular salt, add as required)
- 2.5 cup water ( - for cooking the rice in a pan)
- 3/4 cup tur dal ((tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils))
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 cup water (- for cooking lentils in a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker)
- 1 medium-sized (100 to 120 grams) carrot (- chopped into bite-sized cubes)
- 18 to 20 (80 to 100 grams) french beans (- chopped)
- 1/2 cup (60 to 70 grams) green peas (- fresh or frozen)
- 3 to 4 small sized or ( 80 to 100 grams) brinjals (- small sized eggplants)
- 1 medium-sized (80 to 100 grams) onion (- chopped, or swap with 2 to 3 shallots)
- 1 medium-sized (80 to 100 grams) tomato
- 1 tbsp tamarind ((tightly packed) soaked in 1/2 or 2/3 cup warm water)
- 2 to 2.5 cups water (- for cooking the vegetables)
- 1 cup water (- to be added later, add as needed)
- 3 tbsp Bisi Bele Bath Powder (mixed in 1 cup water)
- 1/4 tsp rock salt ((edible and food grade) or regular salt, for cooking the vegetables)
- 1 tsp rock salt ((edible and food grade) or regular salt, added later or add as required)
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut (- unsweetened)
- 3 to 4 tablespoon ghee (or oil)
- 1 or 2 marathi moggu ((kapok buds), optional)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 to 3 byadagi chillies (or dry kashmiri red chillies or dry red chilies)
- 12 to 15 curry leaves
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida ((hing))
- 18 to 20 cashews
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the rice and peanuts a couple of times in water. Take them in a pan and pour 2.5 cups water over them.
- 2
Soak both rice and peanuts for 20 to 25 mins. Later add the salt.
- 3
Keep the pan the stovetop and cook the rice on medium to medium-high heat.
- 4
If required, then you can add some more water while cooking the rice.
- 5
Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Simmer till the rice grains are tender and cooked well and all the water has been absorbed. The peanuts would also cook well. Cover and set aside.
- 6
Soak 1 tablespoon tightly packed tamarind in ½ or ⅔ cup warm water for 25 to 30 mins.
- 7
Later squeeze and extract the tamarind pulp in the soaked water. Strain and set aside.
- 8
In a pressure cooker, add rinsed tur dal, turmeric powder and 2 to 2.5 cups water.
- 9
Pressure cook for 8 to 9 whistles on medium heat or until the dal is cooked soft and mushy.
- 10
Once the pressure drops on its own in the cooker, then only open the lid. Mash the dal with a spoon and set aside.
- 11
In another pan, take all the chopped veggies and ¼ teaspoon salt. Pour 2 cups water and stir to combine.
- 12
Cover and allow the veggies to cook till they are fork tender but still retain their shape.
- 13
Now in the cooker containing the mashed dal, add the cooked rice and peanuts.
- 14
Then add the cooked vegetables along with its stock. Stir lightly to mix.
- 15
Add 1 cup water. Add the prepared tamarind pulp. Mix everything well taking care the rice grains do not break.
- 16
Now in another pan or bowl, take the 3 tablespoons of the bisi bele bath masala and 1 cup water.
- 17
Stir to mix very well. The masala tends to stick to the back of the spoon while stirring, so scrape it off and add to the mixture.
- 18
Now add this bisi bele bath powder and water mixture in the cooker.
- 19
Add desiccated coconut. Add 1 teaspoon salt or as required. Stir and mix.
- 20
Keep the cooker without the lid on the stove top and simmer on a low heat for about 15 to 20 mins. Add more water if required.
- 21
Keep on stirring often. The raw aroma of the tamarind has to go away and all the flavors should be blended well. Cover and set aside once done.
- 22
In a another pan or the tadka (tempering) pan, heat ghee or oil first. Crackle the mustard seeds first. Keep heat to a low or medium-low.
- 23
Add the curry leaves, marathi moggu, dry red chilies, cashews and asafoetida.
- 24
Fry until the dry red chilies change color and the cashews turn a light golden. Don't burn the spices.
- 25
Pour this tempering in the prepared bisi bele bath. Stir to mix and cover the cooker with its lid for about 5 mins, so that the tempering flavors infuse in the bisi bele bath.
- 26
Serve bisi bele bath with potato wafers or banana chips/wafers or fried or roasted papads. While serving you can top with some ghee if you prefer.