Bisibelabath

Bisibelabath is one of the famous rice dishes from karnataka .

Though there are many versions of the same I would like to post my mother’s recipe here. She is a great cook and I learnt my basic cooking from her.

Ingredients:

Rice	1 cup
Toor dhal	½ cup
Tamarind	Lime sized ball
Small onion	1 cup
Brinjal,Beans,carrot,peas (cut into small cubes )	handful each
Gingely oil	2 tblsp
Ghee	2 tsp
Curry leaves	10 leaves
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Cashewnut	10-15 nos
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Salt	2 tsp  or as needed

To Grind:

Oil	1 tsp
Coriander seeeds	2 tblsp
Channa dhal	1 tblsp
Red chillies	5-6 (add according to your spice level)
Cinnamon	1 small piece
Cardamom	2
Cloves	2
Fennel seeds	½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds	½ tsp
Asafoetida powder	1 tsp
Coconut shredded	2 tblsp

Method:

• Soak tamarind in hot water and extract 2 cups of tamarind juice from it.
• Pressure cook rice and dhal together by adding 6 cups of water.Also pressure cook the vegetables except small onions .
• Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and roast all the ingredients in the “To Grind” table in the same order till golden in colour. Cool well and grind to a powder.
• Take a heavy pan or cooker. Add gingelly oil. Add mustard seeds. Once they crackle add  curry leaves followed by the peeled small onions and fry in medium flame till its light brown in colour.
• Add the tamarind extract,salt,turmeric powder and cook in low flame till raw smell disappears.
• Now add the prepared spice powder, cooked vegetables and cook for 3-4 mins in low flame.
• Add the cooked rice+dhal to this and mix well. Add  little water if needed  to get the  desired consistency. Check the salt ,cover and cook in slow flame for 10 mins.
• Fry the cashewnuts in ghee and add to the prepared rice.