Authentic Kannadiga Bisi Belebath with Warm Ghee
A comforting, aromatic one-pot masterpiece from Karnataka combining rice, lentils, and fresh vegetables cooked with a freshly ground spicy masala. Served piping hot with a generous drizzle of ghee and crisp papad.
55min
Total Time
4
Servings
Kannadiga
Cuisine
Recipe
1
Pressure cook the washed rice and toor dal together with 4 cups of water and turmeric powder for 4 whistles until very soft and mushy.
2
Dry roast the chana dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies, cinnamon, and cloves until aromatic, then grind them along with grated coconut into a smooth powder.
3
In a large deep vessel, heat a tablespoon of ghee and sauté the mixed vegetables for a few minutes until tender.
4
Pour in the tamarind extract, add jaggery, and let it simmer until the raw smell of tamarind disappears.
5
Add the freshly ground spice paste and salt to the simmering vegetables, stirring well.
6
Mash the cooked rice and dal mixture slightly and fold it into the vegetable and spice gravy.
7
Add water if needed to adjust the consistency to a thick, porridge-like texture and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
8
In a separate small pan, heat the remaining ghee, fry the cashew nuts and curry leaves until golden brown, and pour this tempering over the bisi belebath before serving hot.
Ingredients
1 cup Sona Masuri rice, washed and drained
1/2 cup toor dal (split yellow pigeon peas)
1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, beans, green peas, potatoes, chopped)
1 small lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in warm water and extracted
2 tablespoons jaggery, powdered
3 tablespoons ghee
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
2 tablespoons chana dal
2 tablespoons urad dal
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
6-8 dry red chilies (byadagi and guntur mix)
1-inch piece cinnamon
3-4 cloves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1 sprig fresh curry leaves
Salt to taste
*This AI-generated recipe may contain inaccuracies.