Bisibela Bath

          Bisibelabath is a very popular dish in Karnataka. The name Bisi bele bhaath is a phrase, which literally means "Hot Lentil Rice", as in Kannada.  I am a great fan of this rice dish. It tastes great when served hot with papads and onion raita. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Raw Rice - 1 cup
• Tur dal - 1/2 cup
• Tamarind - small lemon sized ball 
• Oil -1 tbsp
• Ghee - 5 tsp
• Pearl onions -15
• Beans - 4-5
• Carrot - 2
• Potato - 1
• Peas - fistful
• Tomato - 1
• Capsicum - 1

Bisi Bela Bath Masala (fry and dry grind)

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Kopra/Dry coconut powder -1/2 cup
• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Red chillies - 6-7
• Bengal gram/Channa Dal - 2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamom -1
• Khus khus -1 tsp

For the seasoning

• Mustard -1 tsp
• Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - little
• Asafoetida/hing - 1/4 tsp

METHOD:

1. Heat a tsp of oil, roast the ingredients under Bisi Bela Bath Masala, adding coconut at the end. Roast everything until it becomes slightly brown in colour and dry grind it. You can prepare this a few days before if you are using kopra as it will not get spoiled. Store it in an airtight container.
2. Pressure cook rice with 4 ½ cups of water for 4 whistles.
3. Pressure cook dal with a cup of water and keep aside. Mash it well. I usually soak dal for 15 -20 minutes in hot water as it takes less time for cooking.
4. Cut pearl onions into 2-3 pieces. Cut beans and carrot lengthwise. Peel and chop potatoes into cubes. Cut capsicum into small pieces.
5. Soak tamarind in a cup of hot water for 15 minutes. Extract its juice and discard the pulp.
6. Heat a tbsp of oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add fenugreek seeds, hing and curry leaves. Saute for a seconds and add chopped onions.
7. Sauté onions until it becomes transparent. Then add all the vegetables (except capsicum) and sauté for a few more seconds. Sprinkle water and cook for 4-5 minutes.
8. Now add tamarind extract, needed salt and the bisi bela bath masala powder. Let it boil well until the raw flavour goes. By the time the vegetables will also get cooked well.
9. Add cooked dal, cooked rice, 4-5 tsp of ghee and mix well.
10. Heat a tsp of ghee and sauté capsicum until slightly cooked. It should be crunchy.
11. Garnish Bisibelabath with capsicums, coriander leaves and serve hot with chips or papads or onion raita.