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. 

Tomato Bhath

Being a proud Bangalorean ..am proud of the rice bhath recipes I have learnt from my mom. Growing up in Bangalore, I have seen people enjoying unlimited varieties of rice bhaths anytime at home or in a restaurant. Be it a quick breakfast,lunch box or family dinner, this one pot rice bhath is an easy bet of any kitchen owner.

Tomato bhath is a quick and tangy one pot meal which is filled with strong flavors. I love it when my mom cooks it, she makes it really spicy n tangy and adds only tomatoes.. Each bite would be a splash of flavors in your mouth. My version is a bit mild to suit my family and kids. I add some more veggies along with tomatoes to add some crunch.

Recipe Courtesy : Amma

This recipe serves 4 people

Ingredients

1. Cinnamon : 2 small sticks
2. Cloves : 3-4 pieces
3. Bay leaves : 2 leaves
4. Star anise : 2 pieces
5. Cardamom : 2 pieces
6. Onion : 2 large onion cut in julienne 
7. Tomatoes : 5-6 medium sized red apple or Roma tomatoes .cut 2 tomatoes into medium sized pieces and use rest for making tomato purée.
8. Carrots : 1 cup, peel and cut them into medium sized wheels (optional)
9. Potatoes : 1 cup, peel and cut into medium sized pieces (optional)
10. Capsicum : 1 cup, cut into medium sized pieces (optional)
11. Cauliflower : 1 cup, cut into big chunks (optional)
12. Peas : 1 cup frozen
13. Coriander leaves : 2 cups
14. Ginger : 2 inches piece,  you can add more as well...it will make the dish more spicy.
15. Green chillies : 3-4 green chillies
16. Garlic : 8-10 large garlic pods 
17. Fresh grated coconut : 1 cup or more
18. Red chilli powder : 2 Tbsp 
19. Coriander powder : 2-3 Tbsp
20. Salt : to taste
21. Rice : 3 Measuring cups - I generally use sona masoori  rice and pressure cook the Tomato bhath as my family prefers it a bit mushy.  You can use basmati rice and cook it in a pan for grainy rice bhath using 6 cups of water.

Procedure

• Let's make the tomato masala purée and then start cooking. 
• For the masala purée add cinnamon sticks, cloves, garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, grated coconut, green chillies,few onion pieces, tomatoes in a blender and grind it to a smooth purée. Make sure you grind only cinnamon and cloves and not other dry spices mentioned in the ingredients list.
• In a pressure cooker, On medium heat, add 3-4 Tbsp of oil and put in the whole bay leaves, cardamom and star anise. Give it few seconds to fry in oil.
•  Then add onions, frozen peas and stir it for few seconds and then add tomato masala purée, let it cook for a minute.
• Put in the veggies, tomatoes and stir everything together for few seconds.
• Add coriander powder, red chilli powder (since we have added green chilli to make the purée, carefully add the red chilli powder accordingly).
• Add the washed rice and stir it with veggies.
• Add 6 cups of water , salt to taste and close the cooker and let it whistle.
• After two whistles turn off the heat. Now your home will be filled with aroma of spices.
• Serve it hot and enjoy the compliments. 

Veg Pulav

When I turn the pages of my childhood memories.....I can still smell that strong aroma of Veg Pulav lingering from my mom's kitchen. Since years, this Pulav is the most comforting one pot meal to have either on a lazy weekend or in lunch box.

This Pulav recipe of mine is a huge hit in my family and friends and i passionately cook it whenever hubby wants to eat a spicy rice dish..

Recipe Courtesy : Amma

This recipe serves 4 people

Ingredients

1. Cinnamon : 2 small sticks
2. Cloves : 3-4 pieces
3. Bay leaves : 2 leaves
4. Star anise : 2 pieces
5. Cardamom : 2 pieces
6. Onion : 1 large onion cut into medium sized pieces
7. Tomatoes : 2 medium sized tomatoes cut into medium sized pieces
8. Carrots : 1 cup peel and cut them into medium sized wheels
9. Beans : 1 cup beans cut into medium sized pieces
10. Potatoes : 1 cup peel and cut into medium sized pieces
11. Capsicum : 1 cup cut into medium sized pieces 
12. Cauliflower : 2 cups cut into big chunks
13. Peas : 1 cup frozen peas
14. Pudina : 2 cups Pudina leaves, you can add more as well...it will enhance the flavor.
15. Coriander leaves : 1 cup
16. Ginger : 2 inches piece,  you can add more as well...it will make the Pulav more spicy.
17. Green chillies : 5-6 chillies
18. Garlic : 8-10 large garlic pods 
19. Fresh grated coconut : 1 cup - optional
20. Salt : to taste
21. Rice : 3 Measuring cups - I generally use sona masoori  rice and pressure cook the Pulav as my family prefers it a bit mushy.  You can use basmati rice and cook it in a pan for grainy Pulav using 6 cups of water.

Procedure

• Let's make the green masala puree and then start cooking. 
• For the green masala, add garlic, ginger, Pudina leaves, coriander leaves, grated coconut, green chillies in a blender and grind it to a smooth purée, use some water if needed to grind it.
• In a pressure cooker, On medium heat, add 3-4 Tbsp of oil and put in the whole cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves, cardamom and star anise. Give it few seconds to fry in oil.
•  Then add onions, frozen peas and stir it for few seconds and then add green masala purée, let it cook for a minute.
• Put in all the veggies, tomatoes and stir everything together for few seconds.
• Add the washed rice and stir it with veggies.
• Add 6 cups of water , salt to taste and close the cooker and let it whistle.
• After two whistles turn off the heat. Now your home will be filled with aroma of spices.
• Serve it hot and enjoy the compliments. 

Tomato n Carrot Soup

During my vacation in India this time...it was beautiful and gloomy typical Bangalore weather.It rained almost every evening making the weather chill ..what else can be more comforting than a big bowl of hot tomato soup to Sip and Slurrp.......

 This Tomato n Carrot Soup recipe of mine was a huge hit and i served it whenever I had guests at home...

Recipe Courtesy : Web recipe with personal twist

This recipe serves 4-5 people

Ingredients

1. Cinnamon : 2 small sticks
2. Cloves : 3 pieces
3. Garlic : 6-8 large garlic pods crushed
4. Onion : 1 small onion cut into medium sized pieces
5. Tomatoes : 5-6 medium sized Apple or Roma tomatoes. Cut them into halves.The sweet ones are best for the soup.
6. Carrots : 2-3 medium sized , peel and cut them into medium sized pieces
7. Corn starch : 2 Tbsp. Mix it with some cold water in a bowl without any lumps.
8. Sugar  : 2 Tbsp
9. Salt : to taste
10. Black pepper : to taste

Procedure

• In a pressure cooker, On medium heat, add 1-2 Tbsp of oil and put in the whole cinnamon sticks and cloves. Give it few seconds.
•  Then add onion pieces, crushed garlic pods and stir it for few seconds to get slight brown color on onion.
• Put in the carrot pieces and tomato halves and stir everything together for a minute.
• Add two glasses of water and close the cooker and let it whistle.
• After three whistles turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
• Now find all the cinnamon n clove pieces and remove them without fail. Peel the skin of the tomatoes.since we have cut them into halves, it's easy to peel the skin. 
• Transfer the tomato mixture into a mixer and reserve the liquid for later use.blend the tomato mixture to a smooth puree.Now strain the puree to remove any tomato seeds or skin.
• In a soup pan add the reserved liquid to the tomato purée and bring it to boil.
• Add some more water, sugar, cornstarch water, salt and pepper as per taste and Boil it for 5 minutes. Add water as per your required consistency. If the soup looks very watery.. Add some more cornstarch to thicken it. 
• Finally taste the soup for salt and pepper. Add some more sugar if it tastes tangy.
•  If you want to impress kids or guests , then add a big spoon of Ghee or Butter and turn of the heat.
• Serve it hot and enjoy the compliments.