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Bisi Bele Bath Recipe- Authentic Karnataka style

Praneetha A Goutham
Bisi bele bath is a traditional Karnataka dish made of rice, vegetables, lentil (toor dal) and a special spice powder. This recipe is a detailed step by step description to make authentic bisi bele bath.
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Karnataka, South Indian
Servings 5

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 or 0.5 cup rice - , sona masuri rice
  • 1/4 or 0.25 cup split pigeon pea - , toor dal
  • 1 no. carrot - , small
  • 12-15 nos. french beans - , green beans
  • 1 no. potato - , medium
  • 1/4 or 0.25 cup fresh peas
  • 1 no. onion - or 10-12 shallots, optional
  • 4 tbsp bisi bele bath powder - , recipe link above
  • 1 small gooseberry size tamarind

Tempering

  • a big pinch asafoetida/hing
  • 1/2 or 0.5 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 8-10 nos. cashews
  • 2 tbsp ghee - , or oil
  • 6-8 stalks coriander leaves

Instructions
 

  • Wash and add 1/4 cup toor dal and 3/4 cup water to a pressure cooker. Add a gooseberry sized tamarind with water in a small bowl and cook along with toor dal. Pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles so that dal is mushy.
  • Wash and cook 1/2 cup rice in 1 cup water for 4 whistles.
  • In a deep thick bottom pan, heat a tbsp of ghee (or oil).  Add in the onions and fry until they are 3/4th cooked.
  • Once done, add in the chopped veggies, fry them until they are partially cooked (50%), adding very little water.
  • If you haven't used kopra or dessicated coconut while making bisi bele bath powder, you can now blend bisi bele bath powder with a tbsp of kopra, make a thick paste and then add this
  • Now add about 4 tbsp of bisi bele bath powder or the paste as above. Add the extracted tamarind juice, a small piece of jaggery. Let this simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the rawness of the powder is cut down. 
  • Next add in the cooked rice and dal. I like to mix the dal with rice first and then add all at once. You can simply add both separately as well and then mix later. Give everything a good mix by adding water as required.
  • Mash the rice slightly if you like. Let the mixture simmer for 5-7 minutes. If required add water as this will get thick once it starts cooling down. 
  • Lastly, in a small pan add in a tbsp ghee (or oil), mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing and cashews (or peanuts) and roast until cashews turn golden brown in colour. 
  • Add this to the cooked bisi bele bath along with chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and serve hot.

Notes

  1. I used about 4- 4.5 tbsps of the bisi bele bath powder. You can add more or less as per taste.
  2. Adding ghee to cook this is most preferred. If you are a vegan or don't like ghee, use oil instead.
  3. Peanuts can be used instead of cashews for tempering.
  4. Keep the consistency slightly thin as it will get thicker on cooling down.
  5. You can also add other veggies like capsicum, chayote, knol khol.
  6. Drumstick is NOT used in authentic Karnataka bisi bele bath. So I don't recommend using that.
  7. Adding onion or shallots is completely optional.
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