Bisi Bele Bhath is a delicious and spicy
dish popular in South India.
Made with rice, lentils, and vegetables, this makes a perfect one-dish
meal for a cold winter night, or any night you don't feel like making
an elaborate meal. Bisi Bele Bhath is the South Indian
version of the Italian risotto.
Bisi Bele Bhath is a pressure cooker recipe and is
not only easy to make but also very nutritious.
Servings: 2-3 Cooking time: 25
minutes
Ingredients
1 cup rice
1/2 cup toor dal (split red gram)
1 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1 cup onions, cut lengthwise and halved
1/4 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup carrots, cut into small cubes
5-6 cashew nuts, fried and cut into pieces (optional)
Salt to taste
For Masala
8-10 red chillies
1 1/2 tsp dhania (coriander seeds)
1/4 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)
1 tsp urad dal ( black gram)
1 1/4 tsp chana dal (split bengal gram)
1-inch piece cinnamon
2 cloves
1 1/2 tsp grated dry coconut
7-8 tsp vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)
Or you can use ready-made bisi-bele-bhath masala (available in Indian
grocery stores).
For Seasoning
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
Asafoetida
powder (hing), a pinch
6-7 curry leaves
Preparation
Heat oil in a pan and fry the cashew nuts and keep
aside.
Saute the onions, beans, and carrots for a couple of
minutes.
Roast the dhania, methi, chana, cloves and toor dal
in 1/2 tsp oil, till light brown. Then add the red chillies and dry
coconut, and fry for a minute.
Cool and powder these along with the cinnamon, and
keep aside.
Coarsely grind the rice and toor dal (pulse it for 2
seconds). You can skip this step if you like.
Take a medium-sized container and add the rice and
dal, and the vegetables. Add the tamarind paste and salt, and 4
cups of water.
Add the ground bisi bele bhath masala. Check the
taste and adjust salt and tamarind acordingly.
Cook the rice, dal, and vegetables in a pressure
cooker for about 5-7 whistles (until cooked).
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a small pan. Add the hing and
mustard seeds. When the seeds start popping, add the curry leaves. Pour
this seasoning over the cooked bisi bele bhath.
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