Bisi Bele Bath

Post # 6

Posted by: Anu

Serving Size: 3-4

RICE+DAAL

Rice – 1.5cups

Tuvar daal - 1 cup

Pressure cook rice and dal (together) with about 5 – 5.5 cups of water for upto 3 or 4 whistles. When done, take it out and semi mash it.

VEGETABLES

Cauliflower, carrots, potatoes – cubed or cut according to your preference

Onion – ½ of one big thinly sliced

Tomato – 1 big cubed

Frozen peas – ½ cup

MASALA (13 items here.. 13 is definitely my lucky number, with the bisi bele at least!!)

Chana daal – 2 tbsp

Urad daal – 2 tbsp

Raw rice – 2 tbsp

Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 2 tbsp

Fennel seeds (saunf) - 1 tbsp

Methi seeds – ½ tbsp

Cloves – 4-5

Cinnamon – 3-4 ½ inch sticks

Cardamom – 3-4

Whole pepper – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 1-2 sprigs

Red chilis - 6-8 (depends on the spice level)

Roast the above in 1tsp of oil, let it cool and grind coarsely

OTHERS

Tamarind water – 1 medium lemon sized

Ghee

Cilantro

In a big non stick kadhai, heat about 1tbsp of oil and sauté the onion. Once done, add the tamarind water (eyeball the quantity based on the rice+daal quantity). Add the cut vegetables, salt, turmeric powder, the masala powder and let it boil like your regular sambhar. You could add half of the masala and save the other half to add later (in case it gets too spicy). Once the vegetables are done, check the spice level (a bit too spicy is okay since you haven’t added the rice+daal yet!! Slowly mix in the rice+daal combo.

Notes: If you think you have too much tamarind water, take out some (along with a lot of the cooked veggies so they don’t get mashed up when you mix in the rice) before you add rice (gently mash the rice as you mix). You can then add back the tamarind water+ vegetables. Make sure the bisi bele isn’t too thick or ricey (!!!). Add the frozen peas and ghee. Garnish with cilantro.