Bisi Bisi Bisi Bele Bhath ready! How many of you are fans of this one pot delicious meal? Many hands up there, Yeah! this dish is my all time favourite. Okay, for those who are wondering what is Bisi Bele Bhath, it is a lentil & rice based dish with lots of vegetables, spices, and tamarind pulp. This dish has its roots in Karnataka and can be found in almost all the restaurants around the place. The aromatic spice powder is what makes this dish stand out from rest of the rice bhath/dishes. Also, cooking this one pot meal is lengthy, but fear not as I am here to share with you my easy recipe. Now, I did not mention the important ingredient that makes this dish even more special, spoonful of ghee!!! Ahh heavenly !! 🙂
Like I said Bisi Bele Bhath spice powder is core to the recipe. Trust me, making this aromatic spice powder is no rocket science. I urge you to make your own spice mix. If not, you can use ready made powder available at stores near you.
To save time, I pressure cooked rice, lentils (toor daal), and vegetables. I cooked rice and daal together in a pressure cooker,and vegetables in a separate cooker. You may come across many different versions of cooking Bisi Bele Bath when you browse the internet. Every region have adopted their way of cooking plus locally available spices contribute to the unique taste of it. My recipe has its origin from Udupi, the way my mom prepared it for us. This method is simple and mildly spiced, just the way I like it.
Adding vegetables is also important and a lot of vegetables go into the dish, carrots, potatoes, turnips, French beans, peas, drumsticks, onions (shallots or sambar onions are best), capsicum, a wide range to select from. Well I used, carrots, potatoes, peas, shallots and beans.
Serve Bisi Bele Bhath with boondi and raitha, and definitely not missing spoonful of ghee. Let us start.
Ingredients
- Bisi Bele Bhath spice powder 2-3 tbsp
- Rice half cup
- Toor daal half cup
- Shallots/ sambhar onions 5-6
- Carrots chopped 1 medium
- Beans chopped a handful
- Potatoes 2 medium
- Peas half cup
- Curry leaves 1 strand
- Tamarind extract 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds 1 tsp
- Cashew 5-6
- Dry red chilli 1-2
- Turmeric powder 1 tsp
- Salt
- Ghee 4 tsp
Method
- Wash rice and daal and pressure cook for 5 whistles. The rice should be cooked well yet grainy.
- Wash and cut vegetables to 1″ long pieces. Pressure cook the vegetables (except shallots) with 2 tsp salt for 1 whistle. Retain the vegetable stock.
- Heat a thick bottomed vessel or Kadai on medium flame, Add just 2 tsp of ghee.
- Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
- Add curry leaves and shallots. Fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add turmeric powder and salt.
- Add cooked vegetables and mix well.
- Add cooked rice and daal. Add vegetable stock.
- At this stage add tamarind pulp and Bisi Bele Bhath spice powder.Mix well without any lumps.
- The consistency should be little runny, as it will thicken over time. Add 1 cup of water or as required.
- Adjust salt if required. Bring it to a boil and switch of the flame. Not need to cook more as rice and vegetables are cooked already.
- Prepare tempering in a small pan. Heat remaining ghee on medium flame.
- Add mustard seeds and cashews. Fry till cashews turn golden.
- Add dry chillies and curry leaves. Add this to Bisi Bele Bhath and mix.
- Serve hot with spoonful of ghee.
Surely mouth watering it is..
I had made it many years ago using a recipe from a magazine. I forgot about it after that till I read this recipe. Now I will make it once again for sure. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
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