Bisi Bele Bath
A hearty one-pot mix of rice, toor dal and vegetables simmered in a tangy, spiced tamarind gravy, finished with a generous ladle of ghee.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 320 kcal
Equipment
- •Pressure cooker
- •Heavy pot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- fat
- 9 g
- carbs
- 48 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 10 g
- calories
- 320 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Pressure cook the rice and toor dal with 700 ml water until soft and mushy.
- 2
Boil the mixed vegetables in a separate pan until they are just tender.
- 3
Mix the tamarind pulp into 200 ml water. Bring to a boil with turmeric and salt.
- 4
Stir in the bisi bele bath powder. Simmer for 5 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- 5
Add the boiled vegetables to the tamarind mixture. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
- 6
Lightly mash the cooked rice-dal mixture. Stir it into the tamarind vegetables, adding water until it looks like semi-thick porridge.
- 7
Simmer everything for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Add jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) to balance the tangy taste.
- 8
Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a small pan. Fry cashews until golden, then sizzle the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- 9
Pour the sizzled spices over the bisi bele bath. Serve piping hot.
Chef's tips
Keep adding hot water as the dish thickens on standing; bisi bele bath should be eaten hot, loose and porridge-like, not stiff. Roasting the spice powder ingredients yourself gives a deeper aroma than pre-ground mixes.
Ingredient substitutions
- bisi bele bath powder → sambar powder with extra pepper and cinnamon
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat on the stove with a splash of water, stirring often, as it thickens considerably when cold.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Letting the dish turn thick and sticky by not adding enough water, losing its characteristic pourable texture.
Serving suggestions
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