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Bisi Bele bath is made with rice, toor dal (split pigeon peas), a variety of vegetables, tamarind, jaggery, and a freshly ground spice mix called Bisi Bele bath masala. It is cooked in a pressure cooker with vegetable and masala gravy and then finally enhanced with ghee tadka consisting of cashews and dry red chilies. Check out my simple recipe and find the process in detail to make Bisi Bele bath in your home kitchen.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Bisi Bele bath is a popular and iconic comfort food from South India, especially loved in Karnataka and across India.
It is best served with mixed vegetable raita or plain Dahi, plain or masala boondi, crispy papad or chips, fresh salad or a dry vegetable.

Bisi Bele bath has a rich, spicy, tangy, nutty, earthy and mildly sweet taste.
Other similar recipes are khara bath, sambar sadham, mixed vegetable khichdi, and vegetable pongal.

The Ingredients:

To boil the ingredients for Bisi Bele Bath:

1 cup rice (any variety)
¾ cup toor dal (split pigeon pea)
4 cups water
½ cup carrot (peeled, cut into small pieces)
½ cup French beans (cut into small pieces)
½ cup potatoes (peeled, diced into small pieces)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp salt

To make the Bisi Bele Bath Masala Powder:

1 tbsp chana dal (split Bengal gram)
1 tbsp urad dal (black gram)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
½ tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coconut (dry, sliced)
¼ tsp methi seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 pieces green cardamom pods (split)
1 piece cinnamon (¼-inch stick, broken into small pieces)
4 pieces dry red chilies (regular or Kashmiri)
4 pieces cloves

To cook the masala and Bisi Bele Bath:

4 tbsp cooking oil
½ tsp asafetida (hing)
1 tsp mustard seeds
5 tbsp peanuts (raw, with skin)
4 pieces green chiles (broken in half)
15 pieces curry leaves
¼ cup onion (2 medium size pieces, cut in square shape)

½ cup tomatoes (diced into small pieces)
¼ cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
3 cups water
1 tsp red chilli powder
4 tbsp tamarind juice
1 tbsp jaggery powder (or lemon-size piece)
Salt to taste

To make the tadka for Bisi Bele Bath:

4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
15 pieces cashew nuts (whole)
3 pieces dry red chilies (whole)

My first Bisi Bele bath experience happened a few years ago when I was just talking with a neighbor, a very good cook and native of Karnataka, while talking about what to cook for lunch every day. I wrote it down carefully in my kitchen notebook and recorded the little tips she gave me about the masala and the consistency.

I prepared it next Sunday for lunch and was very excited. I followed the recipe skillfully at each step. My husband loved the taste, while my sons praised the flavor and finished their dinner happily and quickly, consuming more than they usually do. Their happiness made me feel great, and all my efforts proved worthy. I thanked my stars and considered myself fortunate to have found such a great recipe.

How to Make Bisi Bele Bath? (Step by Step Guide with Images)

Step 1: Take 1 tbsp of chana dal, 1 tbsp of urad dal, 1 tbsp of coriander seeds, ½ tbsp of cumin seeds, 1 tbsp of sesame seeds, 1 tbsp of coconut (dry, sliced), ¼ tsp of methi seeds, 2 pieces of green cardamom pods (split), 1 piece of cinnamon (¼-inch stick, broken into small pieces), and 4 pieces of dry red chilies (regular or Kashmiri) and 4 pieces of cloves in a frying pan, and then switch on the gas stove to dry roast them, stirring continuously until you notice a color change in the dry coconut pieces. Turn the flame off and let the spices cool down.

Step 2: Transfer them to a mixie jar and make a fine powder.

Step 3: Take 1 cup of rice (any variety) and ¾ cup of toor dal in a bowl, wash them nicely with water for 3 to 4 times, and transfer them to a pressure cooker. Add 4 cups of water to it.

Step 4: Cut ½ cup of carrots, French beans, and potatoes into small pieces and add them to the pressure cooker along with 1 tsp of turmeric powder and 2 tsp of salt. Mix them nicely. Cover the lid and cook up to two whistles over a medium flame.

Step 5: When done, switch off the flame, let the pressure release, and check the doneness.

Step 6: Heat 4 tbsp of cooking oil in a kadai over a medium flame and put in ½ tsp of asafetida (hing), 1 tsp of mustard seeds, and 5 tbsp of raw peanuts with skin. Fry for a minute. Then add 4 pieces of green chiles (broken in half) and 15 pieces of curry leaves and fry them for some time until the peanuts become crispy. Then add ¼ cup of onion (2 medium-sized pieces, cut in a square shape) in it and fry until they become soft and translucent.

Step 7: Now, add ½ cup of tomatoes (diced into small pieces) and ¼ cup of green peas to it. Mix nicely. Cover the kadai and let it cook for 2 minutes. Check the softness of the ingredients.

Step 8: Now, add 3 cups of water to the kadai along with 4 tbsp of the Bisi Bele masala powder you made earlier as well as 1 tsp of red chilli powder. Mix well, cover, and cook till it boils. Check the thickness.

Step 9: Now, add 4 tbsp of tamarind juice and 1 tbsp of jaggery in powder form or a lemon-sized piece. Mix well.

Step 10: Add the boiled rice and dal along with salt to taste. Mix well. Cover and let it cook for 5 minutes over a medium flame.

Step 11: By then, to make the tadka, heat 4 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter in a tadka pan and add 15 pieces of whole cashew nuts when it is hot. Fry them till the color changes. Remove some and add 3 pieces of whole dry red chilies to the rest and fry till golden.