Bisi Bele Bath | Easy Rice Recipes

I am not a rice person,give me roti-dal-sabzi 24/7 and I will be a very happy person.My family mocks me saying I was a Punjabi in my last birth:)But I do love a few rice dishes like this and this.Off late however I have switched to one pot meals because it is absolutely hot in Chennai and standing in the kitchen making elaborate lunches is just not possible.Add to that a playful toddler who loves spending time in the kitchen{read-taking out stuff from the shelves and pretending to be cooking as well}

I first tasted BBB,as it is fondly named, in Bangalore,when Ajay's mom had a get-together for her friends.At first glance,I admit I didn't like it much.How tasty could be a gloopy mass of rice-dal-vegetables is what I thought to myself when I put in the first spoonful into my mouth.I realized I was horribly wrong when I took a second helping skipping my other favorite-Shevige Bath.

I have so many bookmarked recipes for making BBB powder from scratch,which is what it gives the real punch I'm told,but lack of time and planning made me buy this ready mix powder by MTR.I followed instructions from this blog for making it taste better,than to follow the instructions blindly given in the back of MTR packet.

If you like BBB and can have it for breakfast,lunch and dinner:) and don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen,this recipe is for you.It tastes delicious and gets done in a jiffy.Add in vegetables of your choice and some crispy vadams or appalam to go with it and voila,you'll have people asking for second helpings :)

Bisi Bele Bath using MTR Masala
Recipe courtesy - Mysoorean

Ingredients

Rice- 1/2 cup { I used regular raw rice}
Toor dal - 1/4 cup { I used a mix of 3 dals,you could use only toor dal if so increase quantity to 1/2 cup}
Moong dal & Masoor dal - 1/4 cup
Mixed vegetables - 1 cup { I used beans,carrot,capsicum and green peas}
Grated coconut or Copra - 1/2 tbsp
Bisi Bele Bath Masala - 1 tbsp
Tamarind paste - 3/4 tsp
Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
Water - 4 cups
Salt to taste

For the tadka

Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing/asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Dried red chilly - 1
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Cinnamon stick - 1' piece
Haldi/turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

For garnish

Oil/ghee - 1 tbsp
Peanuts - a handful
Curry leaves - a few

Method

Wash the rice and dals and soak in enough water till you get the other stuff ready.

In a pressure cooker add oil and splutter mustard seeds.

Add hing,chilly,curry leaves,cinnamon and haldi.Saute for a few seconds.

Mix in the vegetables,rice,dal,bbb masala,coconut,tamarind,jaggery and water.

Add salt to taste.Cover and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or till the vegetables and rice cook till almost mushy.
For the garnish,in a tadka pan add oil/ghee and saute peanuts till golden brown and curry leaves till crisp.Pour on top of bisi bele bath and serve hot.

Tastes delicious with some Papad or chips on the side.