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Bisi Bele Bath (Karnataka Style Rice and Lentil Dish)

🇮🇳 India · Karnataka

Servings: 4 Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 50 minutes Total: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup coriander seeds
  • ¼ cup chana dal
  • 2 tbsp urad dal
  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 6 pods cardamom
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick
  • 5 cloves
  • 20 dried red chillies
  • few curry leaves
  • ¼ cup dry coconut, grated
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • ¼ tsp hing (asafoetida)
  • 2 tsp oil
  • ½ cup toor dal, soaked 20 minutes
  • ½ cup rice
  • 3 cups water (for cooking dal and rice)
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 dried red chillies
  • pinch hing (asafoetida)
  • 2 tbsp peanuts
  • few curry leaves
  • ½ onion, cubed
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 potato, cubed
  • 2 tbsp peas
  • 5 beans, chopped
  • ½ tomato, chopped
  • ½ cup tamarind extract
  • 3 tbsp bisi bele bath masala powder
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 tsp ghee
  • 2 tbsp cashews

Steps

  1. To make the masala powder, dry roast coriander seeds, chana dal, urad dal, cumin, methi, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and pepper until fragrant.
  2. Add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and 1 tsp oil, then roast in dried red chillies and curry leaves until crisp.
  3. Add dry coconut and roast briefly, then mix in turmeric and hing off the heat.
  4. Cool completely and grind to a fine powder to make the bisi bele bath masala.
  5. Wash and soak toor dal for 20 minutes, then pressure cook with rice, turmeric, oil, and 3 cups water until soft and mushy.
  6. Heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp ghee in a large pot, then add mustard seeds, dried red chillies, hing, peanuts, and curry leaves; let them splutter.
  7. Add onion, carrot, potato, peas, beans, and tomato, and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften.
  8. Add turmeric and enough water to cook the vegetables until tender.
  9. Stir in tamarind extract, bisi bele bath masala powder, chilli powder, and salt, and simmer for a few minutes.
  10. Add the cooked rice and dal mixture along with remaining water, and mix well to combine.
  11. Simmer everything together until the mixture reaches a thick, porridge-like consistency.
  12. In a small pan, heat ghee and fry cashews until golden, then pour over the bisi bele bath as a final garnish.
  13. Serve hot with a side of ghee, chips, or raita.

Notes

This is a two-part recipe: a homemade bisi bele bath masala powder and the main rice-lentil-vegetable dish. Adjust water quantity for a thicker or looser consistency.

Source: hebbarskitchen.com