Bisibele Bhaath (North Karnataka style)

If you ever travel across Karnataka, (India) One delicious specialty dish that you will come across in restaurants is Bisibelebhaath. This is an authentic Karnataka dish which basically means a flavourful rice and dal combination cooked with spices, tamarind, and vegetables. It is a one-pot traditional dish that you can have with Onion Raita, papad, boondi, and pickle.

The word 'Bisibelebhaath' means hot lentil rice. So it is usually served hot with some ghee on top.

In North Karnataka, It is usually prepared on weekends when we are not interested in cooking an elaborate meal. This dish not only tastes delicious but also is filling and healthy. It contains rice, Tur dal, and a lot of veggies which gives energy as well as keeps you fuller for longer. In other words, it is a satisfying meal.

In South Karnataka, it is usually prepared by making a separate Bisi bele bhaath powder. But in my family, coming from North Karnataka, We add a little bit of both Huli pudi( sambar powder) and Saarina Pudi (Rasam powder). Believe me, it tastes absolutely delicious and just like how it is made in a restaurant.

This recipe involves making Steamed rice, cooking the dal, Frying and sauteing veggies, and finally mixing up everything with spiced powders. It is usually soft and mushy in nature.

If you have Huli pudi and Saarina pudi ready on hand, then you can make this dish in no time. The flavors that come out of both these powders are just so good that you will not be able to stop after just one serving!

So let's make this traditional recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice  2 1/2cups

Tur dal 1 cup

Water for cooking rice 5 cups

Water for cooking dal 21/2 cups

Oil 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp 

Cumin seeds 1tsp

Asafoetida 1tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon stick 1

Curry leaves 4-5

Tamarind lemon size ball

Water for soaking tamarind 1/2 cup

Carrot chopped 1

Potato chopped 1

Cucumber chopped 1

Peas 1/4 cup

Huli pudi 2 1/2 tsp

Saarina Pudi 2 tsp

Water for boiling veggies 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Jaggery powder 1 tbsp

Red chili powder 2 tsp

Coriander leaves for garnishing

For the tempering:

Ghee 1tbsp

Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida 1/4 tsp

Dried red chili 1

Cashews 10 -12

Peanuts 8-10

Curry leaves 4-5

INSTRUCTION:

1.First let's pressure cook Rice and Dal separately. Take rice in a big vessel, wash thoroughly under running water 2-3 times. Add water and keep aside.

2.Now in another big vessel, add Tur dal and wash thoroughly 2-3 times. Add water and keep aside.

3.Now in a pressure cooker, add 1cup water underneath, and Keep both the rice and the dal vessels one over the other and cook for 4 whistles and simmer until another whistle. Off the stove and let the pressure release.

4.Soak a lemon sized ball of tamarind in hot water.

5.Heat a heavy bottom pan/Kadhai, add oil, mustard seeds and let them splutter. Lower the flame, add cumin seeds, curry leaves, Asafoetida, turmeric powder, and cinnamon stick.

6.Now add the chopped veggies (carrot, potato, cucumber, and peas.)Saute well for a minute.

6.Add Huli pudi, Saarina pudi and Jaggery powder.

7.Now add in the squeezed tamarind extract, and water for the veggies to boil. Close the lid and let the veggies boil till cooked for around 5 to 10 minutes.

8.Now once the vegetables are cooked, time to add cooked rice and cooked dal. Just add them to the Kadhai/pan and mix well. Adjust the water as required. Add salt and stir again. Let simmer on low flame for 1-2 minutes. Keep stirring at regular intervals. Then off the flame.

9.In the meantime, let's make a tempering. Heat a small kadhai, add ghee, mustard seeds. Once the splutter lower the flame, add curry leaves, Asafoetida, peanuts, cashews and saute for a while till peanuts and cashews are fried.

10.Lastly pour the tempering over the cooked bisibelebhath.

11.Serve with Boondi/sev and papad.

I hope you will love this traditional dish and have this scrumptious meal with your friends and family. Do try and comment me your feedback in the comments section below. Also would love to connect on Instagram @archanasvegfoodchronicles.