South Indian Bisibele Bhaath

Bisibele Bhaath
Some days when I want to empty my fridge of those veggies reaching their expiry date, I cook one of these - mixed vegetable soups, coconut curries or a mixed vegetable rice like Bisibele Bhaath. One pot meal with rice, lentils and vegetables, from the southern state of Karnataka. I find this rice dish quite comforting on rainy, wintry days.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1/2 cup
Split Pigeon Peas/Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Carrots - 2 medium
Green/French Beans - about 10
Green Peas (frozen) - about 1/2 cup
Drumsticks/Shevgyache Shenga - 1
Potato - 1 medium
Onion - 1 medium
Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind Paste - 1/2 tsp
Jaggery/Gud/Gul - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil

Dry Red Chilies (Byadagi variety) - 6 or 8
Split Black Gram/Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Split Bengal Gram/Split Chick Peas/Chana Dal - 2 tsp
Coriander Seeds/Dhania/Dhane - 4 tsp
Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cloves/Long/Lavang - 4
Cinnamon/Dalchini - an inch piece
Cardamom/Elaichi - seeds of 1 pod
Desiccated (Dry) Coconut - 1/4 cup

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves/Kadipata - few sprigs
Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp

How to cook Karnataka Bisibele Bhaath:
  • Heat about 1 tsp oil in a pan and roast the red chilies until crisp. Keep them aside. Now roast chana dal, urad dal. When dals change slightly in color, add coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Sauté for a minute and add desiccated coconut. Sauté for another minute or until coconut turns slight brown. After cooling, grind all these roasted ingredients with little water to a fine paste.
  • Heat 5 - 6 cups water in a big pot and add washed toor dal, 1 tsp oil and turmeric. Cook until dal turns soft. Add washed rice and medium chopped onions, potatoes, drumsticks, carrots, green beans, green peas. 
  • Use any vegetables of your choice, about 3 cups -  bottle gourd (lauki), ridge gourd, snake gourd and so on. Add water just enough to immerse the vegetables.
  • Traditionally, any medium grain rice like Sona Masoori is used for this recipe. I have used Basmati rice. 
  • When rice is half cooked, add salt, jaggery and tamarind. After about 5 minutes, check if the vegetables are cooked and add the ground paste. Mix and cook it covered for 5 - 7 minutes. Add more water if required. This rice is served a little watery and not dry. 
  • Heat a pan and add 1 - 2 tsp oil. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafetida.  When mustard seeds pop, turn off the heat. Pour this tempering/tadka over the cooked Bisibele Bhaat. Garnish with cilantro and serve with papad, yogurt or raita. 

Comments

  1. my fav dish, looks so good, and must be super delicious

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  2. One pot meal..absolutely delicious..love it.

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  3. hm...sounds diffecrent and tasty...

    On your comment on my story: My husband also didn't like the end....:(..next time will try to write something refreshing...:)

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  4. Its my fav,dal,veggies and rice combined to make a complete yummy meal

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  5. this is indeed a very popular recipe. thanks for sharing it.

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  6. One of my comforting food, havent prepared since a long, urs makes me hungry..

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  7. I have had this many times but I never had a recipe so I could make it myself. Thanks for posting it!

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