Bisi Bele Bath is a traditional Kannadiga one-pot meal that combines rice, lentils, and a variety of vegetables, all cooked together with a unique spice mix made from dried red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon, cloves, and coconut. With its rich and smooth texture, and slow cooked deep flavor, Bisi Bele Bath is a popular choice for festive occasions in Karnataka. It’s perfect for dinner parties as well since much of the prep work can be done in advance.
This recipe offers a quicker way to prepare Bisi Bele Bath. First, the rice and toor dal are cooked until soft, then added to the Huli (Sambar) to finish cooking. Although cooking the rice separately means it doesn’t absorb as much flavor from the Huli, this method is a great timesaver and yields results that are quite close to the traditional method. Bisi Bele Bath is typically served with a tomato and onion raita, and fried Hapla (Papad) or Sandigae, making for a tasty and complete meal.
Bisi Bele Bath (Quick Method)
Ingredients
Bisi Bele Bath
- 1 cup Green peas
- 1 cup Green beans (diced)
- 1 cup Carrots (diced)
- 1 cup Rice Preferably a short grained variety like Sona masoori or Jasmine
- 1 cup Toor dal
- 10-15 Curry leaves
- 2 tbsp Tamarind paste
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1/4 cup Cashew pieces
- Salt to taste
- 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 4 tbsp Ghee
- 2 Dried red chilis Preferably byadagi variety
Bisi bele Bath Powder
- 1 cup Coriander seeds (Dhania)
- 1 cup Red chilis Preferably Byadagi variety
- 1 cup Dry (dessicated) grated coconut
- 1 tbsp Chana Dal
- 1 tbsp Urad Dal
- 1.5 tsp Fenugreek (Methi) seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1" piece Whole cinnamon
- 2 Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
- 1 tsp Marathi moggu (Dried Capers) Optional
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
Equipment
- Spice grinder
- Pressure cooker or instant pot
Instructions
Make Bisi Bele Bath Powder
- This recipe will yield more powder than you need for this recipe today. However, it can be stored in an airtight container for up to a year and used again next time you make this recipe.
- Roast coriander seeds, red chillies, chana dal, urad dal, fenugreek, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, marathi moggu, and asafoetida with 2 tablespoons of oil. Allow to cool completely and then using a spice grinder, grind to a fine powder.
- Dry roast the dried coconut separately until golden brown. Add this to the powder and grind once again.
Make Bisi Bele Bath
- Cook all the vegetables in water until they are just about fork tender.
- Mix the rice and dal and pressure cook separately.
- In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the vegetables, rice, dal, salt, tamarind paste, asafoetida, 2 tablespoons of bisi bele bath powder, and some water. Cook the mixture while stirring frequently for 20-30 minutes until it becomes creamy. Gradually add hot water, half a cup at a time, during cooking to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
- Add 2-3 tbsp of ghee while cooking the mixture. Extra ghee will enhance the creaminess and taste of the bath. Adjust the salt, tamarind level, and spice at this stage.
- The bath will thicken considerably when it cools. So, it is better to add water and keep it as a stew consistency while cooking.
- In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and the rest of the ghee. Add mustard seeds and cover. After the mustard pops, add asafoetida, 2 red chili chopped in half, and cashews. Cook until cashews are light brown. Add this seasoning to the bath before serving.
- Serve hot with raita and potato chips or papad.