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Bisi bele bath recipe is a spicy, flavorful dish from Karnataka, prepared using rice, dal, vegetables and a special spice blend.
While Sambar sadam is Tamil nadu style, this is Karnataka version.The name Bisi bele bath itself means hot lentil rice. One of the top favorite rice varieties.
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- 🥘 Ingredients
- Difference
- 💠Top tip
- 📖 Variations
- Related posts
- Recipe card
- 📸 Step by step
I have tried bisi bele bath with a recipe from a cookbook I have. First time, it turned out with cinnamon flavor more. Even next attempt turned out the same. I thought, that’s how it is supposed to be.
So after so many years, I tried this famous Karnataka special dish, as I got few requests from reader friends.
And I know many of your search for this specific recipe in my blog. This time I am bit graduated to guess which should be added how much for a balanced flavor. So was so careful in adding those.
🥘 Ingredients
The recipe from the book I have calls for khus khus (kasakasa) which is banned here in Singapore. So I thought to skip khus khus (poppy seeds) and increase the dry coconut (copra).
I don’t use kopra as well. So used desiccated coconut. I added more ingredients than that is in the book by adapting from here.
I was really not sure until I finished making the dish. But when I tasted, it was really good and perfectly balanced. So after clicking the picture, I just hogged it hot!
Just the way it is supposed to be enjoyed. The perfect side dish for this is onion raita and potato chips. So make sure about the availability.
Difference
Bisi Bele Bath is prepared in Karnataka while sambar sadam is Tamil nadu dish. The spices is different. Sambar sadam's doesn't use cinnamon, marathi moggu and clove. This is the main difference.
So the flavor and out come is totally different though in some households in TN they say sambar sadam as Bisi Bele Bath.
💠Top tip
- Soak dal for 10 mins in hot water or 30 mins in normal temperature. This way it is soft and mashes well.
- Add few drops of sesame oil to help soften evenly.
- I usually keep tamarind inside in separate bowl, while pressure cooking as shown in the picture (Step 1). This ensures easy extraction of juice.
📖 Variations
You can use green peas in place of avarekalu. Also, you can use tamarind paste available in shops in place of tamarind extract. Use 2 levelled teaspoon of tamarind paste for this recipe.
You can use MTR bisi bele bath powder if you do not wish to grind your own.
Related posts
- Tomato bath
- Vangi bath
Recipe card
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5 from 7 votes
Bisi bele bath recipe
Bisi bele bath recipe - bisi bele bath is a spicy, flavorful dish from Karnataka, prepared using rice, dal, vegetables and a special spice blend.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Author Raks Anand
Servings 3
Cup measurements
Ingredients
- ½ cup Raw rice heaped
- ¼ cup Toor dal
- 1 teaspoon Tamarind packed
- 14 Small onion shallots
- 1 Potato
- ¼ cup Fresh peas I used mochai
- ½ Carrot
- ½ teaspoon Jaggery
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 8 Cashew nuts
To roast and powder
- 5 Red chilli byadgi variety
- 1.5 teaspoon Coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon Urad dal
- 1 teaspoon Chana dal
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- â…› teaspoon Asafoetida
- ½ inch Cinnamon
- 1 Clove
- 1 Marathi moggu
- 1.5 tablespoon Dry coconut
Instructions
Soak rice, dal separately for 30 mins and pressure cook for 5 whistles in medium flame. I keep tamarind also in pressure cooker for easy extraction of juice.
Once done, mash them and extract tamarind juice with ¾ cup water.
Peel potato, carrot and cut into cubes. Boil these veggies with mochai (avarekalu/ field beans) in a cup of water until ¾th done. Gather the ingredients to be roasted ready.
Meanwhile, in ghee, fry cashew nuts until golden and keep aside for garnish.
In the same kadai, add red chilli, coriander seeds, urad dal, chana dal, asafoetida, cinnamon, clove, marathi moggu first.
Add cumin seeds lastly. give it a stir and add coconut. Roast until golden and cool down. Make sure to roast in low or medium flame to avoid burning.
Powder the roasted ingredients once cooled, into a fine powder.
In the same kadai, wipe the coconut and add ghee. fry small onions until transparent.
By now the veggies would have got cooked ¾th. Transfer sauteed onion to it.
Pour tamarind extract, add in turmeric, salt, jaggery.
Add powdered spices and mix well. Bring to boil. If it is too thick, you can add ½ cup more water.
Add cooked rice, dal, mashed well. Cook carefully in medium flame stirring well to avoid stuck/ burnt at the bottom. You can use any heavy bottomed vessel or even small pressure cooker.
Once the mixture heats up and bubbles (2-3 mins), add the fried cashews and switch off the flame.
Video
Notes
- For perfect texture, make sure to add enough water while cooking rice and dal as well as in step 10. I use 1:3 water ratio for both rice and dal.
- I had mochai in stock so added it. You can add fresh green peas or beans too in place of it.
- I used byadgi chilli for color as well as it is what authentically used in bisibelebath. It looks bit shrunken and longer than the regular red chillies.
- I used desiccated coconut in place of kopra.
- Instead of cashewnuts, I see people using peanuts too for garnish.
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📸 Step by step
1. Soak rice, dal firstly in separate vessels for 30 mins and pressure cook for 5 whistles in medium flame.
I keep tamarind also inside for easy extraction of juice. Once done, mash them and extract tamarind juice with ¾ cup water.
2. Meanwhile, peel potato, carrot and cut into cubes. Furthermore, boil these veggies with mochai (avarekalu/ field beans) in a cup of water until ¾th done. Gather the ingredients to be roasted ready.
3. Next, fry cashew nuts in ghee until golden and keep aside for garnish. In the same kadai, add red chilli, coriander seeds, urad dal, chana dal, asafoetida, cinnamon, clove, marathi moggu first.
4. Add cumin seeds lastly. give it a stir and add coconut. Roast until golden and cool down. Make sure to roast in low or medium flame to avoid burning.
5. Powder the roasted ingredients finely, once cooled.
6. In the same kadai, wipe the coconut and add ghee. fry small onions until transparent.
7. By now the veggies would have got cooked ¾th. Transfer sauteed onion to it.
8. Pour tamarind extract, add in turmeric, salt, jaggery.
9. Add spice powder and mix well. Bring to boil. If it is too thick, you can add ½ cup more water.
10. Add rice, dal, mashed well. Mix carefully in medium flame stirring well to avoid stuck/ burnt at the bottom. You can use any heavy bottomed vessel or even small pressure cooker. Once the mixture heats up and bubbles (2-3 mins), add the fried cashews and switch off the flame.
Serve hot with onion raita, the best combo for bisibelebath along with some crispy potato chips. Enjoy hot!
