BISI BELE BATH/ HOT LENTIL RICE

This is a one pot lentil dish from Karnataka, South India. The traditional way of preparing this dish involves the use of lots and lots of spices. There are so many versions of preparing this dish. This one is my version a very simple way and a quick one. This is a pressure cook method. The rice is little watery unlike the normal rice we cook.The spices in this dish are the highlight of this one pot dish. Absolutely "soul warming".

Hot lentil rice

Ingredients:

Rice- 1 cup

Toor dal/ split red gram- 1/2 cup

Roughly chopped vegetables of your choice- 1 cup
(I have used potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots)

Mustard seeds- 1 tspn

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Asafoetida- 1/2 tspn

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tspn

Oil for tempering- 1 tbspn

Tamarind pulp- 1/2 cup

Butter- 1 tbspn (to be added while serving)

Salt to taste

For the spice powder:

White lentil- 1 tbspn

Split bengal gram- 1 tbspn

Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tspn

Black peppercorns- 1/2 tspn

Sliced coconut- 1/2 cup

Cloves- few

Cardamom- 3-4 pods

Cinnamon sticks- few

Coriander powder/ curry powder- 2 tbspn

Dry red chillies- 3- 4

Add all the ingredients to a pan, dry roast the ingredients and powder it.

                                        

Method:

1. Heat the pressure cooker and then add the oil to it.

2. Add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.

3. Add the curry leaves. At this point you can also add some cashew and groundnuts to make the rice richer.

4. Now add in the washed lentil, rice and vegetables.

Washed lentil and rice

Vegetables

5. Add 4 cups of water, the spice powder, asafoetida, turmeric, tamarind pulp, salt and mix all the ingredients well.

In the cooker

6. Pressure cook only for 2 to 3 whistles.

7. Serve with ghatia, potato crisps or something crunchy of your choice and butter.