Bisi Bele Bath

Bisi Bele Bath is essentially a spicy dish made with rice, lentils and vegetables that is tempered with typical South Indian spices and nuts

History

Bisi bele bhath (Kannada: ಬಿಸಿ ಬೇಳೆ ಭಾತು, romanized: bisi bēl̥e bhātu, lit. 'hot lentil [boiled] rice') or bisi bele huliyanna (ಬಿಸಿಬೇಳೆಹುಳಿಯನ್ನ) is a spicy, rice-based dish with origins in the state of Karnataka, India.It is said to have originated in the Mysore Palace and it took a 100 years for the dish to come out of the palace kitchens and another 200 years to spread across the state of Karnataka.

A special spice blend called the Bisi Bele Bath powder is also added to it, which gives it the authentic taste.

If you break down the words, in Kannada language, ‘Bisi’ means hot, ‘Bele’ refers to lentils and ‘Bath’ means rice. Hence these three Kannada terms literally mean – Hot Lentil Rice.

Along with the unique masala powder and the Marathi moggu (kapok buds) that goes in the tempering, the Bisi Bele Bath Recipe also has tamarind which contributes to the dish’s distinctiveness. Sometimes, a personalized or customized recipe of this dish may also have about 30 ingredients!

Since the typical spice mixture is an integral part of the Bisi Bele Bath Recipe, you should have it handy at home. The best thing to do is to use the homemade blend versus a readymade one from the market. For this reason, you can refer to this easy DIY Bisi Bele Bath Powder recipe of mine.

Making the Bisi Bele Bath Recipe is a long process. You have to cook the rice, lentil and the veggies separately and then mix everything. Well, it’s not just mixing where you stop. There is definitely more.

Summarised Preparation

The entire recipe into 4 steps for ease of understanding and making.

Step 1 – Cooking rice

Step 2 – Cooking lentils and vegetables

Step 4 – Making Bisi Bele Bath

Step 4 – Tempering Bisi Bele Bath

Cook Rice

Rinse 1 cup rice and ¼ cup raw peanuts first. Another option is too skip the peanuts at this step and fry them in the tempering and then add. rinsed rice and raw peanuts for bisi bele bath recipe. Add 2.5 cups water. adding water to rice and peanuts for bisi bele bath recipe. Soak both rice and peanuts for 20 to 25 minutes in the water. soaking rice and peanuts in water for bisi bele bath recipe.

Add ¼ teaspoon edible rock salt or regular salt. Keep on the stovetop and cook the rice. No need to cover the pan with the lid. While I have cooked the rice in a pan, feel free to cook in a stovetop pressure cooker (add 2 cups water) or the Instant Pot (add 1.5 to 2 cups of water). cooking rice with peanuts for bisi bele bath recipe. Simmer till the rice grains are tender and cooked well. The peanuts will also cook nicely. Cover and set aside. cooked rice and peanuts for bisi bele bath recipe. Cook Lentils and Vegetables Soak 1 tablespoon tightly packed tamarind in ½ or ⅔ cup warm water for 25 to 30 minutes.

soaking tightly packed tamarind in water for bisi bele bath recipe. Later squeeze and extract the tamarind pulp in the soaked water. Strain and keep aside tamarind pulp extracted for bisi bele bath recipe. In a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker, add ¾ cup rinsed pigeon pea lentils (tuvar dal), ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 2 cups water. rinsed pigeon pea lentils, turmeric powder and water added in pressure cooker. Pressure cook the lentils on high heat for 8 to 9 whistles. pressure cooking lentils for bisi bele bath recipe. Once the pressure settles down naturally on its own in the cooker, then only open the lid. Mash the lentils with a spoon or whisk and set aside. In another pan, take the chopped vegetables and sprinkle ¼ teaspoon edible rock salt or regular salt.

The vegetables are:

1 medium-sized carrot, chopped

18 to 20 french beans, chopped

½ cup green peas – fresh or frozen

3 to 4 small brinjals or baby brinjals (small eggplants), chopped

1 medium-sized onion or 2 to 3 shallots, chopped

1 medium-sized tomato, chopped

chopped vegetables and rock salt added to a pan. Pour 2 cups water and stir to combine.

water added to vegetables for bisi bele bath recipe. Cover pan with lid and cook the vegetables till fork tender and cooked well, yet still retaining their shape. cooking vegetables for bisi bele bath recipe.

Make Bisi Bele Bath

Now, in the cooker with the mashed lentils, add the cooked rice and peanuts. cooked rice and peanuts added to mashed lentils. Then, add the cooked vegetables together with the stock. adding cooked vegetables and their stock to the rice, peanuts and lentils. Stir lightly. Add 1 cup water or as needed. adding water to the cooker. Add the prepared tamarind pulp. Adding tamarind pulp to the cooker. Mix everything gently, taking care the rice grains do not break. ingredients mixed well gently. Now, in another pan or bowl, take 3 tablespoons Bisi Bele Bath masala and 1 cup water. bisi bele bath masala and water added in a pan. Stir and mix very well. The masala tends to stick to the back of the spoon while stirring, so scrape it off and add to the mixture. bisi bele bath masala mixed in water. Now add this Bisi Bele Bath masala solution into the cooker filled with the cooked rice, lentils and vegetables. Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened desiccated coconut unsweetened desiccated coconut added to the cooker. Stir and mix well. Also, add salt as required, keeping in mind that we have added salt to the vegetables and rice too.

coconut mixed well with the ingredients. Keep the cooker without the lid on the stovetop and simmer on low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add more water, if required.

Stir often so that the Bisi Bele Bath does not burn at the base. The raw aroma of the tamarind has to go away and the flavors should be blended well. Cover and keep aside, once done. cooking bisi bele bath.

Temper Bisi Bele Bath

In a small tempering (tadka) pan, heat 3 to 4 tablespoons ghee or oil. Crackle 1 teaspoon mustard seeds first. Then, fry 12 to 15 curry leaves, 1 to 2 Marathi moggu, 2 to 3 dried red chilies (seeds removed), 18 to 20 cashews and ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing). Fry until the dry red chilies change color and the cashews turn a light golden. frying ingredients for tempering in hot ghee or oil. Immediately pour this tempering mixture together with the oil in the prepared Bisi Bele Bath and stir.Cover the cooker with the lid for about 5 minutes, so that the tempering flavors infuse in the bath. pouring tempering in the prepared bisi bele bath.

Serve Bisi Bele Bath with potato chips, banana chips/wafers or fried papads and raita or yogurt. If you prefer, top with a bit of ghee, while serving.

Ingredients

For Cooking Rice

• 1 cup rice

• ¼ cup peanuts – raw

• ¼ teaspoon rock salt or regular salt, add as required

• 2.5 cups water – for cooking the rice in a pan

For Cooking Lentils

• ¾ cup tur dal (tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils)

• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

• 2 cups water – for cooking lentils in a stovetop pressure cooker

  For Cooking Vegetables

• 1 carrot – medium-sized, 100 to 120 grams

• 18 to 20 french beans – 80 to 100 grams

• ½ cup green peas – 60 to 70 grams, fresh or frozen

• 3 to 4 brinjals – small sized eggplants, 80 to 100 grams

• 1 onion – medium-sized, or 2 to 3 shallots, 80 to 100 grams

• 1 tomato – medium-sized, 80 to 100 grams

• 1 tablespoon tamarind (tightly packed) soaked in ½ or ⅔ cup warm water

• 2 to 2.5 cups water – for cooking the vegetables

• 1 cup water – to be added later, add as needed

• 3 tablespoons Bisi Bele Bath Powder mixed in 1 cup water

• ¼ teaspoon rock salt (edible and food grade) or regular salt, for cooking the vegetables

• 1 teaspoon rock salt (edible and food grade) or regular salt, added later or add as required

• 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut – unsweetened

  For Tempering

• 3 to 4 tablespoon Ghee or oil

• 1 or 2 marathi moggu (kapok buds), optional

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 2 to 3 byadagi chillies or dry kashmiri red chillies or dry red chilies

• 12 to 15 curry leaves

• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

• 18 to 20 cashews