Bisi Bele Bhath

Rice, dal and vegetables cook in one pot, and the masala has its own name.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (ghee).

Ingredients

• 250 g rice
• 200 g toor dal
• 300 g mixed vegetables -- beans, carrot, peas, aubergine
• 3 tablespoons tamarind paste
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, for the masala
• 1 tablespoon chana dal, for the masala
• 6 dried red chillies, for the masala
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, for the masala
• a 3 cm stick of cinnamon, for the masala
• 4 cloves, for the masala
• 1/4 nutmeg, grated, for the masala
• 40 g coconut, grated, for the masala
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
• 20 curry leaves
• 5 tablespoons ghee
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1.4 litres water

Method

1. RICE, DAL AND VEGETABLES COOK IN ONE POT, AND THE MASALA HAS ITS OWN NAME. Its article gives the whole composition in one sentence and names the blend inside it: the preparation is ELABORATE and involves A SPICY MASALA, HULIYANNA, with toor dal, rice, ghee and vegetables -- and nutmeg, asafoetida, curry leaves and tamarind pulp for the flavour. A masala with its own name is a masala you cannot substitute, and its article says some versions run to THIRTY INGREDIENTS. This is the one rice dish here where the rice is the least interesting part.
2. THE MASALA IS ROASTED AND GROUND FRESH. Coriander seeds, chana dal, chillies, cumin, cinnamon and cloves dry-roasted, then the coconut for the last minute, then ground. The coconut burns in half the time the coriander needs.
3. THE NUTMEG IS GRATED IN AT THE END, NOT ROASTED. Its article names it specifically and it is the unexpected one. Roasted, it goes bitter.
4. THE RICE AND DAL COOK TOGETHER UNTIL SOFT. Both, in the same pot, a litre and a bit of water. It is meant to be thick and almost porridgy.
5. THE VEGETABLES ARE COOKED SEPARATELY AND FOLDED IN. Otherwise the ones that soften fast are gone before the dal is ready.
6. THE TAMARIND GOES IN AFTER THE DAL IS SOFT. Acid early stops a pulse softening and no amount of time will fix it.
7. THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF GHEE. Five tablespoons. Its article names ghee among only five main ingredients.
8. IT IS SERVED HOT AND THE NAME SAYS SO. Bisi means hot. It thickens to a solid block as it cools and wants loosening with hot water to reheat.
9. ITS ARTICLE NAMES WHAT GOES BESIDE IT. Chutney, boondi, salad, papad or potato chips -- something crisp against something soft.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes