Name: Bisi Bele Bath (South Indian Khichdi)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: South Indian
Ingredients: 1/2 medium sized cauliflower florets; 1 cup of chopped beans (1-inch long pieces); 1 cup of chopped carrots (circle cuts or 1/2-inch long pieces); 1/2 cup of peas; 2 tbsp of ghee (clarified butter); 2 tbsp of Hearty Sambar PODI; 2 cups of short-grained rice; 1 cup of toor dal; 1 tsp of mustard seeds; 1 tsp of cumin seeds; 2 tsp of urad dal; Salt to taste; 1 tbsp tamarind paste/tamarind pulp extracted from pods; 1 tsp or 1 tbsp of chili powder (based on heat preference)

The dish is chock full of veggies, lentils, rice and a lot of flavor. We love pairing it with crispy accoutrements like potato chips.

Bisi Bele Bath (South Indian Khichdi)

Servings

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Author:

Alak Nanda

Bisi Bele Bath literally translates to 'hot lentil rice' in Kannada (a South Indian language spoken by over 50 mil people!). This dish is full of vegetables that typically come in a frozen vegetables blend (cauliflower, beans, carrots, peas).

Image of Bisi Bele Bath (South Indian Khichdi)

Ingredients

1/2 medium sized cauliflower florets
1 cup of chopped beans (1-inch long pieces)
1 cup of chopped carrots (circle cuts or 1/2-inch long pieces)
1/2 cup of peas
2 tbsp of ghee (clarified butter)
2 tbsp of Hearty Sambar PODI
2 cups of short-grained rice
1 cup of toor dal
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
2 tsp of urad dal
Salt to taste
1 tbsp tamarind paste/tamarind pulp extracted from pods
1 tsp or 1 tbsp of chili powder (based on heat preference)

Directions

Half-boil all the chopped veggies together in some water. Veggies should not be mushy at the end of this.
Cook 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of toor dal, and 6 cups of water along with 2 tbsp of Hearty Sambar PODI in a big pot.
Once the rice and lentil mix is cooked, mix the half-boiled veggies, to the rice and lentil mix. Cook everything together for another 5-10 mins. Add salt to taste. Add water if needed. It needs to have the consistency of grits or porridge.
Mix in tamaind paste/tamarind pulp to this mix. Taste and see if you want to add chili powder, according your heat/spice preference
Tempering: Take a small saucepan, on medium heat, pour 2 tbsp of ghee, once the ghee is hot, add 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp of mustard seeds, and 2 tsp of urad dal. Wait for urda dal to turn a golden brown, then turn off the heat.
Pour tempering mix into the lentil, rice and veggie mix. Mix thoroughly.