Why this recipe works
Bisi bele bath is clever comfort food. Rice and toor dal are cooked together, and that pairing makes a complete protein, the dal supplies the lysine the rice lacks. A generous helping of vegetables, tangy tamarind and a fresh-ground masala of coriander, chana dal, chilli and coconut turn it into a complete, balanced meal in one pot.
Ingredients
- Rice + toor dal1 cup + 1/2 cup
- Mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, peas)2 cups
- Tamarind pulp2 tbsp
- Bisi bele bath masala (coriander, chana dal, chilli, coconut, cinnamon)3 tbsp
- Turmeric, ghee, cashews1/2 tsp + 2 tbsp
- Mustard + curry leaves, salttadka
Method
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1
Cook the rice and toor dal together until soft.
Why together: rice plus dal makes a complete protein and a soft, cohesive base, the heart of a good bisi bele bath.
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2
Cook the vegetables and add tamarind pulp and the ground masala.
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3
Combine everything with plenty of water to a soft, porridge-like consistency, and simmer.
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4
Finish with a ghee tadka of mustard, curry leaves and cashews.
An honest word
Bisi bele bath is a genuinely balanced one-pot meal: complete protein from rice and dal, a good serving of vegetables, and fibre throughout. The one lever is the ghee, traditionally it is generous, so a sensible amount keeps it wholesome. As warming, nourishing comfort food that also happens to tick the nutrition boxes, it is hard to beat.