BISI BELE BHATH BY VINDHYA BALANNAVAR

Go to any South Indian Restaurants you can easily find this very delicious, Heavenly- One pot meal called ‘Bisi Bele Bhath’. Bisi Bele Bhath is a Kannada name; it translates as ‘Hot Lentil Rice’ in English. Bisi means ‘Hot’, Bele means ‘Lentil’ and Bhath means ‘Rice’. It is one of the famous dishes from the Karnataka Cuisine. Walk into MTR, chain of restaurants in namma Bengaluru and order for Bisi Bele Bhath, so Finger Lickin’ good it is. !! Bisi Bele Bhath is the perfect amalgamation of Rice, Choicest Spices and vegetables. The Unique point of this dish is the blend of spices added to the rice-lentils-vegetables combo which gives it a deep flavour. This dish gets it flavours from the spices and the tempering which is given towards the end.

Bisi Bele Bhath Masala is readily available in the market you can use that or blend the spices at home. Bisi Bele Bhath could be prepared in either of the following two ways.

1)      Cooking everything separately –This is the traditional method. Where we cook the Rice, Lentils and Vegetables separately and then mix them together.

2)      Cooking Rice and lentils together- In this method rice and lentils are cooked together and vegetables are added to it separately. Basically this method saves your time.

   Usually I cook using the traditional method. But when you really crave to eat Bisi Bele Bhath and got less time in hand, using second method saves your time.

Making Bisi Bele Bhath is a long process. Lot of things go into it. Though this dish is a bit calorific, it’s healthy as well since loads of vegetables and Ghee is added! You may use vegetables like Potato, Onion, Green Peas, Carrots, French Beans, Knol Kohl/German Turnips and Brinjals. You may use your choice of veggies.

TIP: Avoid using Capsicum, as its deep flavour takes away the real taste or the aroma of the Bisi Bele Bhath.

The most important part of this dish is the Masala that goes into it. You easily get the readymade Bisi Bele Bhath masala in the stores but I personally feel, the spice blend that you make at home is very authentic and aromatic compared to the readymade ones. Check out the ingredients and procedure for making the Bisi Bele Bhath Masala.

BISI BELE BHATH MASALA

Ingredients:

1)      Coriander seeds/Dhania - 1/2 cup

2)      Urad dal/Bengal gram –1 tbsp

3)       Chana dal -1/4 cup

4)      Guntur red Chillies – 5-6

5)      Byadagi Red Chillies ( these are less hot chillies compared to Guntur Chillies) 10-12

6)      Cumin seeds/Jeera -1 tsp

7)      Black pepper -1/ tsp

8)      Cardamom -3

9)      Cinnamon- ½ inch

10)  Cloves/lavang- 3-4

11)  Kapok buds/Marathi moggu -4-5 (this particular spice gives a very aromatic and musky flavour to the masala.)

12)  Desiccated coconut -4 tbsp

13)  Fenugreek seeds/methi seeds – ½ tsp

14)  Poppy seeds/ Khus Khus -2 tsp

15)  Curry leaves/kadi patta – 12-14

16)  Asafoetida/Hing – 1 tsp ( optional)

Procedure: In a small kadai or frying pan first dry roast the coriander, cumin and fenugreek seeds until they are fragrant and crisp. Make sure you don’t burn them, so put it on a low flame and roast. Remove and keep aside in a plate.

In the same kadai now dry roast cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, kapok buds till they turn aromatic. Remove and keep aside in a plate. Now dry roast the Chana dal, Urad dal together and remaining ingredients, each separately until they become crisp. Now let all the roasted spices, chillies, dal and desiccated coconut and curry leaves cool down. Mix all the spices and other ingredients in a grinder. Grind finely and store the Bisi Bele Bhath masala powder in an air-tight container and keep it in a refrigerator. It stays good for over a month or two.

Now that the Masala recipe is ready, Bisi Bele Bhath is ready to be cooked. Read on to know the recipe friends.

BISI BELE BHATH

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 Mins

Serves – 7-8

Cuisine: Karnataka, India

   Ingredients:

1)      Regular Rice – 1 ½ cup

2)      Raw peanuts – ¼ cup

3)      Water -5 cups ( for cooking both rice and dal 3+2 respectively)

4)      Tuvar dal/Pigeon pea lentils -3/4 cup

5)      Turmeric powder- ½ tsp

6)      Potato – 2

7)      French beans -12-15

8)      Small Brinjals – 2-3

9)      Green peas -1/2 cup

10)  Knol kohl -1 small

11)  Carrots –small 2-3

12)  Seedless tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup of water

13)  3 cups of water for cooking the vegetables.

14)  Bisi Bele Bhath masala powder -3-4 tbsp

15)  Salt

16)  Ghee -3-4 tbsp

17)  Desiccated coconut – 2 tbsp

For Tempering: Oil- 3-4 tbsp or you may use ghee, kapok buds- 2-3, Chana dal -1 tsp, Mustard seeds 1-2 ,dry red chillies- 2 to 3, curry leaves -10-12, Hing -1 tsp. Cashews -18-20 (optional).

Method:

1)      First Rinse the rice and peanuts, add 2-3cups of water to it and then cook them together for about 3 whistles in a pressure cooker Or you may use a pot for cooking the rice. (Requires 20-25 minutes )

2)      In another pressure cooker take Tuvar dal, turmeric powder and sufficient water and cook for about 6-8 whistles till the dal is soft.

3)      Chop all the vegetables and boil them in a pot adding a pinch of salt.

4)      Extract the pulp from the soaked tamarind and keep it ready.

5)      Once our rice+peanuts, dal and vegetables are ready, take a big Kadai add the vegetables along with the stock and add the rice and cooked dal. Mix everything gently.

6)      Now add the tamarind pulp. Mix well.

7)      In another bowl take 3-4 tbsp of Bisi Bele Bhath Masala powder and 1 cup of water and mix it well. Now add this mixture to the kadai, and give it a good stir.

8)      Add desiccated coconut and salt as required.

9)      Add 2-3 tbsp of ghee to the Bhath and cook well, adding ghee gives a very nice aroma to the rice.

10)  Make sure all the ingredients and flavours are blended well. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Cover and keep it aside once done.

11)  Now in a small kadai, heat oil first add and crackle the Mustard seeds first  then add Chana dal, kapok buds, dry red chillies, Hing, curry leaves once done pour this tempering into the Bisi Bele Bhath kadai. Stir and cover until the tempering flavour is infused in it. Bisi Bele Bhath is ready to be served.

12)  Savour this delicious dish along with potato/banana chips or fried papads and cucumber raita, while serving Bisi Bele Bhath you can top it up with some ghee if you like, I think you must! It tastes Divine!