If you’re looking for a one-pot meal that is both flavorful and comforting, especially for cool weather, this recipe is perfect for you!
Bisi Bele Bath is a classic, spicy, and tangy rice-based dish popular in Karnataka, India. The name “Bisi Bele Bath” comes from Kannada, meaning “hot lentil rice.” This wholesome dish is made using white rice, toor dal (pigeon pea lentils), a variety of vegetables, spices, and ghee.
To prepare the dish, rice, toor dal, and vegetables are first pressure-cooked. They are then combined with Bisi Bele Bath masala spice powder and tempered with spices, peanuts, and cashews, adding a delightful crunch. It is typically served alongside potato chips, boondi, or a spicy chickpea flour mixture, but you can also enjoy it with Greek yogurt.
There are a couple of ways to prepare this classic dish, but this recipe is the one I have perfected over the years. We love it so much that I make it regularly. It’s easy to prepare, making it perfect for weeknight dinners and lunch boxes. I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we do!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
For Pressure Cooking:
1/2 cup or approximately 100g white rice, rinsed
1/2 cup of toor dal, rinsed
1/4 cup of green beans, chopped
1/4 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup of sweet corn
1 large tomato, diced
1 small onion, chopped
a small marble-sized tamarind (optional, add only if you like the dish a little too tangy)
1/2 tsp jaggery powder (optional)
2 1/2 cups of water
Salt
2-3 tbsp Bisi Bele bhath masala spice powder (I use MTR spice powder)
a handful of chopped coriander leaves
For tempering:
2 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp peanuts
1 tbsp cashews
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch of hing or asafoetida
a few curry leaves
1-2 bydagi dired red chilies, split into half
Method:
- Add rice, toor dal, onion, tomato, and vegetables(beans, carrot, peas, corn), salt, and water to a pressure cooker, and pressure cook until 4-5 whistles or until lentils and rice are cooked. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Gently mix while gently mashing the ingredients.
- Mix bisi bele bhath powder and 100ml water in a small bowl until it forms a lump-free mixture. Pour this mix into cooked ingredients in the pressure cooker and stir. Taste for salt and consistency of bisi bele bhath and adjust. Then cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes and turn off heat.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cashews and fry them until golden, then remove the cashews and add it to bisi bele bath. Add peanuts into the same oil and fry them too until golden brown, remove them from the oil and add them to bisi bele bhath.
- To the same oil, add mustard and cumin seeds. Once they pop and sizzle, add curry leaves, red chilies, and hing. Turn off heat and pour this mixture over bisi bele bhath and give it a good mix.
- Lastly, add a handful of chopped coriander leaves and gently stir.
- Serve wholesome and delicious bisi bele bhath with potato chips or spicy chickpea mixture, and Greek yogurt. Enjoy!
Notes:
- Feel free to add other vegetables like drumsticks and potatoes. They complement this dish well.
- Tomatoes provide a nice tanginess to this dish. However, if you prefer it to be a bit tangier, you might want to add tamarind pulp. You can include a small piece of tamarind pulp, about the size of a marble, while cooking the other ingredients in the pressure cooker. Alternatively, you can add a tablespoon of tamarind pulp juice after you incorporate the bisi bele bhath spice powder slurry.
- If you add sweet corn to this recipe, it will provide the necessary sweetness to balance the dish. Alternatively, you can also include a tablespoon of jaggery powder if desired.
If you tried this recipe, let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below or tagging a picture of your preparation on Instagram @swaadista
Happy cooking, happy eating!
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