Bisi Bele Bhath

Bangalore is best known for its local delicacy Bisi Bele Bhath. I bet you can't find the authentic BBB elsewhere. Be it summer or the chilled winter, a hot plate of BBB along with Khara Boondi or potato Chips is a delight forever.

Even though it's a very simple one pot meal, You can end up with a boring rice sambhar mixture if you dont play tough with the amount of spices and veggies that go in the BBB powder. Don't ever use sambhar powder instead of BBB powder and cook BBB. That would be unforgivable insult for the great dish.

Once you have a great BBB powder in hand and follow the below procedure, I bet you will have BBB in the top of "the most comforting food in the world" list.

This Bisi Bele Bhath recipe of my mom was a huge hit in my lunchbox in school, college and at office. I shall post the BBB powder recipe soon.

Recipe Courtesy : Amma

This recipe serves 4 people

Ingredients

1. Onion : 2 large onion cut into Julienne. You can use sambhar onions/shallots if available.
2. Tomatoes : 3 medium sized tomatoes cut into medium sized pieces.
3. Carrots : 1 cup, peel and cut them into medium sized wheels.
4. Beans : 1 cup, cut into medium sized pieces.
5. Potatoes : 1 cup, peel and cut into medium sized pieces.
6. Capsicum : 1 cup, cut into medium sized pieces.
7. Cauliflower : 1 cup, cut into big chunks.
8. Peas : 1 cup frozen peas.
9. Peanuts : 3-4 tbsp.
10. Coriander leaves : 1 cup.
11. Dry grated coconut : 1 /2 cup.
12. Bisi Bele Bath powder : 3-4 tbsp, use MTR powder if you don't have home made BBB powder.
13. Tamarind : one big lemon sized, soak in water and get the pulp.
14. Jaggery : one small lemon sized.
15. Cashews : a handful.
16. Dry red chillies : 5-6 broken into 2 pieces.
17. Curry leaves : around 10-15 leaves.
18. Salt : to taste.
19. Rice : 2 Measuring cups sona masoori rice.
20. Yellow gram dal  : 1 cup.

Procedure 

• In a pressure cooker, add washed rice, Dal, carrots, beans, potatoes, peas, peanuts and any other veggies of your choice. Add almost 8 cups of water and pressure cook this for 4 whistle. We want the rice n veggies to be well cooked as the final BBB should not be grainy, so add water generously according to your rice quality.
• Do make sure the cooker is big enough to cook all the rice, dal, veggies together After adding the measured amount of water.
• In a big pan, add 3-4 tbsp of oil and heat on medium flame . Add in the mustard and jeera seeds, a pinch of hing, curry leaves, cashews, dry red chillies and stir for a minute.
• Then add onions and fry them, put in capsicum, cauliflower and stir for few seconds, add the chopped tomatoes and close the lid and cook it for minute.
• In a bowl, add tamarind pulp, salt, jaggery, BBB powder and make a thin paste using water. Add this paste to the onion tomatoes mixture and stir it.
• Now add the cooked rice and veggies mixture to the pan and mix everything together well. Add some water if the Bhath is too thick, we want the Bhath to be a bit watery in consistency.
• Close the lid and cook this mixture in very low flame for 5-10 minutes so that the spices get mixed well.
• Now add in the dry grated coconut, coriander leaves and a big spoonful of ghee, stir everything and add some water if the Bhath is thickening.
• Simmer it on low flame of another 5 mins and turn off the flame.
• The BBB should be a bit watery, tangy, not too spicy but fully aromatic dish.
• Serve it hot with crunchy khara Boondi or potato chips and enjoy the compliments.