Bisibela bath

An authentic Karnataka dish, also called Sambar rice in other parts of the country. A single pot meal that gives the benefit of eating dal, rice and vegetables all in one go! 

Besides dal, rice and vegetables, the important ingredient that goes into the making of Bisibela bath is the spice powder. Most people make it at home, however, MTR bisibela bath masala is good enough for lazy people like me.

Ingredients:

1. Toor dal - 1/2 cup
2. Rice - 1/2 cup
3. Vegetables - carrot, beans, potato
4. Onion - 1 medium size
5. Bisibela bath powder - 2,3 spoons
6. Tamarind juice - 2 tbl spoons
7. Popu/Tadka - mustard, jeera, curry leaves and heeng 
8. Cashewnuts - as you wish :)

Method:

1. Pressure cook dal & rice together with 2 cups water
2. Chop the vegetables into inch long pieces and (steam/microwave) cook them too
3. Cut the onion into thin inch long pieces (as long as the veggies)
4. Fry a spoonful of ghee & oil and do the tadka
5. Once the mustard seeds start to pop, add the onions
6. Next add the cooked vegetables and fry
7. Add the dal-rice mixture to the fried vegetables. At this stage, add salt and a pinch of turmeric powder
8. Toss in the bisibela bath masala and tamarind juice 
   
9. Adding a little water, bring all the ingredients together. Skip this step if you like your bisibela bath to be grainy and not one mashed lump of rice
10. Adjust salt, spice powder, tamarind juice as required. You could also add some chilli powder if you like it hot
11. Garnish with ghee roasted cashewnuts and serve hot

When I cook something from an online recipe, I end up running several times back & forth between the stove & the computer. So as to check if I'm on track :) If you're also like me and if you're going to make bisibela bath using MTR powder, you could avoid running this time - bcoz the recipe above is what is written on the back of the MTR packet. :D

Entry to events:

Single Serving Recipes event.

Cooking for kids: Rice event.