(Image source from: Delicious Bisi bele bath recipe})

Bisi bele bath recipe is a delicious complete meal of rice, lentils and vegetables popular from the Karnataka cuisine. Try this recipe, which is a complete nutritious meal.

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 6 people

Ingredients required for Bisi bele bath

For rice

Regular rice: 1 cup
Raw peanuts: 1/4cup
Rock salt: 1/4tsp
Water for cooking the rice: 2.5 cups

For dal

Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp
Arhar dal/tuvar dal/pigeon pea lentils: 3/4cup
Water: 2cups

For the vegetables

Carrot: 100 to 120 gms (1 medium)
French beans: 80 to 100 gms
Peas: 60 to 70 gms
Small brinjals: 80 to 100 gms
Onion: 80 to 100 gms (3 to 4)
Tomato: 80 to 100 gms (1 medium)
Tightly packed seedless tamarind (1 tbsp) soaked in ½ or ⅔ cup water
Cooking the vegetables: 2 to 2.5 cups water
Water added later: 1 cup
Bisi bele bath masala dissolved in 1 cup water: 3 tbsp
Rock salt for cooking the vegetables: ¼ tsp
Rock salt added later or add as required: 1 tsp
Unsweetened desiccated coconut: 2 tbsp

For tempering

Ghee or oil: 3 to 4 tbsp
Marathi moggu (optional): 1 or 2
Mustard (rai or sarson): 1 tsp
Dry byadagi/bedgi chilies or dry red chilies: 2 to 3
Curry leaves (kadi patta)
Asafoetida (hing): ¼ tsp
Cashews (kaju): handful

How to prepare Bisi bele bath:

Rinse the rice and peanuts, add 2.5 cups water, soak for 20-25 minutes, add salt. Cook rice along with peanuts and keep aside.

Prepare the lentils and veggies:

Soak tamarind for half an hour and squeeze and extract pulp.

Take pressure cooker, add rinsed tuvar dal/pigeon pea lentils, turmeric powder and 2 to 2.5 cups water. Wait for 8 whistles or till dal gets cooked. After pressure cooking, mash the dal.

Take the chopped veggies and ¼ tsp salt in a separate pan and pour two cups water and stir. Leave till they cooked, while retaining the shape.
Mixing:

Add cooked rice and peanuts to cooker containing mashed dal. Add cooked vegetables along with its stock and stir. Add a cup of water, tamarind pulp, mix slowly so that rice brains do not break. Take another pan or bowl, add 3 tbsp bisi bele bath masala and 1 cup water and stir properly. Add this to the cooker. Add desiccated coconut, 1 tsp salt and stir well.

Place cooker on stove with low flame, without lid for nearly 20 to 25 minutes. Keep on stirring intermittently. Cover and keep aside.

Tempering:
Heat ghee or oil in another pan or the tadka/tempering pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chilies, marathi moggu, cashews and asafetida, see to it that the spices is not burnt.

Pour this tempering in the prepared bisi bele bath.

-Sumana