Recipe Bisi bele bhath

Bisi bele bhath

Bisi bele bhath is a rice-based dish with its origins in the state of Karnataka, India. Bisi-bele-bhaath translates to hot lentil rice in the Kannada language. It is also known as Bisi bele huliyanna, which means "hot lentil sour rice". The traditional preparation of this dish is quite elaborate and involves the use of spicy masala, toor dal (a type of lentil) and vegetables.

Spices like nutmeg and asafoetida, curry leaves and tamarind pulp used in its preparation contribute to the unique flavour and taste of this dish. It is served hot and sometimes eaten along with salad, papad or potato chips. This dish is commonly found in restaurants that serve the Udupi cuisine. The masala used for the dish is available off the shelf.

The name bisi bēle bhāt is a Kannada phrase, which literally means "hot lentil rice". In Kannada, bisi means hot, bēle means lentil, and bhāt means a dish made of rice.

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut or any other refined oil

1 tbsp chana dal (split bengal gram)

1 tbsp urad dal (split black lentils)

12 mm ( 1/2”) piece cinnamon (dalchini) , optional

1/4 cup grated dry coconut (kopra)

5 whole dry kashmiri red chillies , broken into pieces

2 tbsp coriander (dhania) seeds

Other Ingredients

2 tsp coconut any other refined

1/2 cup finely chopped potatoes

1/2 cup finely chopped capsicum

1/4 cup finely chopped french beans

1/4 cup finely chopped carrots

1/4 cup chopped red pumpkin (bhopla / kaddu)

1/4 cup shallots (madras onions)

1 drumsticks(saijan ki phalli / saragavo) , cut into small pieces

5 to 7 curry leaves (kadi patta)

1 cup raw rice (chawal) , soaked and drained

1/2 cup toovar (arhar) dal , soaked and drained

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

2 tbsp tamarind (imli)

salt to taste

3 tbsp ghee