Authentic Bisi Bele Bath Recipe

Quick and Easy Bisi Bele Bath Recipe for a Wholesome Meal

Not in the mood to spend too much time in the kitchen, but you're craving something soulful with South Indian flavours-Bisi Bele Bath will be your saviour! Bisi Bele Bath, Bisibele Bath, or Bisibelabath translates to a hot lentil rice dish. Salty, spicy, tangy, sweet - the dish is an explosion of flavours in every bite. The use of rice, lentils, and vegetables makes them wholesome, while the special Bisi Bele Bath adds depths of flavour. What makes this dish even more popular is that it is gluten-free and can be turned vegan effortlessly.

While enjoying this dish made by a local in Karnataka will be an experience to cherish, you can make it in a few simple steps at home!

How to Make Bisi Bele Bath?

This traditional rice-based dish originated in Karnataka. Since it is commonly eaten throughout the state, every household can have different variations and secrets. Here, we have an authentic Bisi Bele Bath recipe. 

Bisi Bele Bath Ingredients

You can break down the Bisibelabath recipe into four sections - the rice and lentil preparation, the vegetable mix, the spice powder, and the tampering. 

Note that the following list of ingredients will serve four people. Also, you will need 10 minutes to prepare everything and around 40 minutes to cook!

For Rice Preparation:
• Rice - 3/4 cup
• Split pigeon peas (toor dal) - 1⁄2 cup
• Tamarind - 3 tablespoons or a small lemon-sized ball (adjust to taste)
• Jaggery - 1 and 1⁄2 teaspoon or to taste
• Salt - 1⁄2 teaspoon or to taste
• Ghee - 1 teaspoon
• Water - as needed

For Vegetables:
• Diced carrots - 1⁄2 cup
• Green peas - 1⁄4 cup
• French beans - 5 pieces or avarekalu - 1⁄4 cup
• Shallots - 8 or medium onion - 1 (optional)
• Cubed capsicum - ¼ cup (optional)

For Bele Bath Powder:
• Red chilli - 4
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cloves - 2
• Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Skinned black gram (urad dal) - 1 teaspoon
• Bengal gram (chana dal) - 1 teaspoon
• Fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) - 2 pinches
• Coriander seeds- 1 and 1⁄2 tablespoon
• Kapok buds (marati moggu) - 1 small (optional)
• Dried coconut or poppy seeds - 1 tablespoon (optional)

For Tempering:
• Ghee - 1 to 2 tablespoons
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Cashews - 10 (broken)
• Asafoetida (hing) - 1 pinch
• Mustard seeds - 1⁄2 teaspoon
• Broken and deseeded red chilli - 1

Step 1: Make the Bisibele Bath Powder

Dry roast the urad dal, chana dal, and red chillies on low flame until they are golden brown. Then follow the same process for cloves, coriander seeds, cinnamon, and moggy until you get their aroma. Add methi seeds. Finally, roast the cumin seeds and coconut. Put all the dry roasted spices into a mixer grinder and make a fine powder. 

Note: It is best not to multi-task when roasting the spices, as they can burn easily. You can make the powder in a large amount, store and use it whenever you want to make Bisi Bele Bath.

You can use readily available Bisi Bele Bath powder; however, the homemade one will give this Bisi Bele Bath recipe a richer aroma and taste. Make sure to check the spice level of the store-bought powder before putting it in the recipe, as different products can have different spice levels.

Step 2: Prepare the Rice and Lentil Mix

Separately rinse the rice and lentils with water. Boil the rice in 1 and ¾ cups and the lentils in 1 cup of water. Cook until the rice is soft and the lentils are mushy. You can put them in a pressure cooker as well. 

A note here! You can cook the rice and lentils together for a quick cooking session. The rice may get mushy, that's all!

While the rice and lentils cook, soak the tamarind in ½ cup for a few minutes. Filter the water and keep 2 or 3 tablespoons aside. In the remaining water, squeeze the tamarind pulp, add jaggery, salt, and Bisi Bele Bath powder, and mix well. Meanwhile, the rice and lentils should be cooked. Turn the gas off and mash them together. 

Step 3: Prepare the Vegetables and Make the Bisi Bele Bath

Put 1 tablespoon of ghee in a heated pan. Saute all the vegetables you prepared for 3 to 4 minutes on high flame. Add a cup of water and cook the vegetables until they are almost done. There should be some crunch left. Pour the tamarind pulp and spice mix and stir for a while. 

Next, add the rice and lentils mix along with ¾ to 1 and ½ cups of water, as per your desired consistency. Taste and see if it needs any salt or jaggery. If it needs more tang, add the tamarind water you kept aside. Cook for some time and turn off the heat. Keep in mind that the Bisi Bele Bath becomes thicker when it cools down. 

Step 4: Tamper and Serve!

Take another small pan and heat some more ghee in it. Fry the cashews till they are light golden. Add chilli and mustard. Throw in the curry leaves when the mustards start to splutter. Finally, sprinkle some asafoetida and don't let it brun. Pour the tampering over the Bisi Bele Bath. 

Serve hot with a generous sprinkle of ghee and papad.

Conclusion

Try this Bisibele Bhath recipe once; it will become your go-to meal in no time. You can experiment with different vegetables and lentils. However, use the same spice mix to ensure the authentic taste. 

FAQs

1. What should you do if the Bisi Bele Bath becomes too thick?

If the Bisi Bele Bath becomes too thick to your liking, you can easily fix it. Boil a cup of water, stir some ghee in it, and mix with the Bisi Bele Bath. 

2. Is Bisi Bele Bath a breakfast dish?

You can enjoy Bisi Bele Bath at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

3. Can I garnish the Bisi Bele Bath with coriander leaves?

Definitely! Garnish the Bisi Bele Bath with some coriander leaves to enhance the taste.