Bisi Bele Bath

This is a classic dish from the Indian state of Karnataka. This is my all time favorite and to me no one makes this better than my mom :) She would make this regularly for pot lucks, huge quantities with absolutely no compromise on the quality. And this recipe is from my mom , tried and tested several times.

Bisi bele math is a medley of all veggies, lentils , rice flavored by the best of the spices.. This is a one pot meal that usually requires a little effort , but pays you back for every single minute that you put in to it.

Here is the recipe.

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

Veggies :

1. Onion - 1 big 2. Shallots - 6-7 3. Tomatoes - 2 medium 4. carrots - 2 medium 5. Beans - 6-7 6. capsicum** - 1/2 7. Green chilli** - 1 (Optional) 8. green peas - 1/2 Cup 9. potato - 1 big 10.curry leaves - 1 sprig

For the Spice powder:

1. channa dal - 2 Tbsp. 2. Urad dal - 2 Tbsp. 3. clove - 1 or 2 4. cinnamon - 1 small piece 5. poppy seeds - 1 tsp. 6. fenugreek seeds - 4-5 7. coriander seeds - 1 Tbsp. 8. fennel seeds - 1 tsp. (Optional) 9. grated coconut - 3-4 Tbsp.

Rest of the ingredients :

1. mustard seeds - 2 Tbsp. 2. Ghee** - 3-4 Tbsp. 3. Toor Dal - 1 Cup 4. Rice - 2 Cups. 5. Salt - to taste 6. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp. 7. Coriander leaves - for garnish. 8. curry leaves. 9. Cashews - few (Optional but recommended) 10. peanuts - few (Optional) 11. turmeric paste - 1/4 Cup 12. Water - 8-9 cups. 13. jaggery - a small piece (Optional but recommended)

Preparation : Time taken : 10 min.

1.Dry roast all the ingredients under 'For the Spice Powder' , until they are browned. 2. Cool them and grind in to a fine powder.

Method : Time taken : 45 mts.

1. Take a pressure cooker or a pan, add the ghee. once it's hot add the mustard seeds. 2. Once they splutter, add the cashews and transfer them to a cup and set aside. 3. Add some more oil/ghee and add once its hot, add the peanuts,add the shallots. FRy until the shallots turn transparent. 4. Add the other veggies and little salt and cook for 3-4 mins. 5. Add the dal and the rice, add water , cover the lid and let it go for 2-3 whistles. 6. Once the pressure comes down, the rice will be cooked in a semi-solid consistency. 7. Add the spice powder, jaggery , tamarind paste and the rest of the required salt, turmeric and mix well. 8. Garnish with the fried cashews and coriander leaves.

Serve it hot with papad or boondhi. Enjoy the warm bisi bele bath delighting your tastebuds :)

Notes** :

1. Capsicum is optional and recommended only if you are ok with capsicum slightly overpowering the other veggies. 2. I have noticed that adding green chilli enhances the flavor, that's optional too. 3. Above list of veggies are the commonly used ones, feel free to add the veggies to your taste 4. Ghee is recommended but can be substituted with oil 5. It helps to add a tsp. of oil always while frying the chillies, so they dont sensitize your lungs and lead to coughing fits :) 6. Soaking Toordal for half an hour before cooking , expedites the cooking and also helps the dal cook better.