Bisi Bele Bath

Besi Bele Bath, a popular dish of Karnataka, also called as Sambhar sadam in the south of India. It’s a one pot meal in which you get your protein, carbs and veggies cooked to perfection in our favorite Indian spices. I usually prepare this recipe on Friday or Saturday, when I have to finish the remaining vegetables in Fridge before Grocery shopping.

Prep time: Under 50 minutes

Ingredients: 

Mix Vegetable (beans,carrot,peas &potato) : 2-3 cups (I like to use more veggies)

Rice: 3 Cups 

Toor Dal: 2 Cups

Ghee/Clarified Butter: 1tbsp

Tomato: 1 (big)

Curry Leaves: 1 sprig

Coriander leaves: for garnishing

Water: 3-5 Cups

Tamarind Juice Of 1/2 Lemon Size (soak & extract juice)

Onion (sliced): 1 big sized

Cashews: 10 numbers

Turmeric Pdr: ¼ Teaspoons

Hing (Asafoetida): 1 Pinch

Oil: 2 tbsps

For bisi bele bath pdr:

Green Cardamom: 1

Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tbsps 

Fenugreek Seeds: 1/4 tsp (Excess of this will have bitter taste)

Dry Red Chillies: 4-5 numbers

Coriander Seeds: 1tbsp

Urad Dal: 1tbsps 

Cinnamon Stick: 1 inch

Cloves: 2-4 Numbers

Chana Daal (Bengal Gram Dal) : 1tbsp

Mustard Seeds: 1 ½ tsp

Coconut (Fresh): 2 tbsps

 Method: 

You can add veggies of your choice, here i have added Carrots, Beans, Potato, broad beans, peas, radish, cauliflower, drumstick, and egg plant. Chop all these slightly bigger, like you would cut for sambhar. 

Wash & clean the cut veggies. Soak potato, egg plant in water such that it doesn't change its colour. In the meanwhile, soak tamarind. 

1. Wash Toor Daal and soak it.  

2. Wash rice and keep aside. 

3. Dry roast-----Chana dal, urad dal, Coriander seeds, Cinnamon stick, clove Cumin seeds,Cardamom &Red chillies. Do this on low medium heat.As you remove from heat add hing. Make a fine/coarse powder (however you like it, i make a fine pdr as the chilli flakes sometimes crop up while having besi bele bath if its coarsely ground) along with coconut. Keep aside. 

4. Heat oil in a heavy bottom vessel (I used my pressure cooker here, but used a stainless steel plate to cover & cook) and sliced onion sauté. 

5. Add chopped veggies and mix well. Add turmeric. 

6. Add washed rice and toor dal. Allow it to cook with a covered lid. 

7. Add Chopped Tomatoes. 

8. Add tamarind juice, ground powder .Mix well. Add water if you feel it requires some more. I added around 1/2 cup water again and gently mix so that you don't mash the vegetables. 

9. When it is done you will see its bit watery consistency don't worry that's what we want, transfer in other vessel. give it a mix.You will see it will look like a dosa batter consistency.

10. Mix well & check if the rice texture is changed from normal to slightly over cooked, similarly for toor dal. Ensure all veggies are cooked & just in the right texture.

11. In a pan heat ghee, Mustard seeds let that splutter & then add curry leaves. Add this tempering to rice and mix well. Garnish with coriander. 

Serve hot with some melted ghee, papadam/Chips, cucumber raita and pickle of your choice. More the ghee more the taste. Forget the calories and relish this dish. Overwhelmed by the blend & flavour of aromatic spices anyone will devour Besi Bele Bath in moments and that's not an exaggeration :) 

Divi !!