A healthy alternative to the traditional dish from Karnataka, made with oats, lentils and veggies. This dish has to be eaten hot and if left to become cold, will not taste good.
Ingredients:
Oats – 1 1/4 cup
Tur dal – 1 cup
Water – 4 cups
Peas – 6 to 7 pods
Carrot – 1 small
Beans – 4 to 5
Shallots – 5
Potato – 1 small
Ghee – 2 to 3 tablespoon
Tamarind water – 1/4 cup
Bisi bela powder – 4 tbsp or more if you want spicier
Jaggery – 1/4 tablespoon
Cashews – 10 – 12 pieces
Salt to taste
Seasoning:
Red chillies – 2
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
Home made powder
Oil – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds – 3 tsp
Urad dal – 2 tsp
Bengal gram/Channa Dal – 1 tsp
Cinnamon – 2 inch stick
Cloves – 2
Dry red chillies – 7 or 8
Khus khus – 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1/4 tsp
Pepper – 1/4 tsp
Dry coconut (Copra) – 1 or coconut – 1/2



Bisi bela baath powder:
Heat 1 tsp of oil and saute coriander seeds, jeera, pepper, bengal gram dal, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and red chillies.
Saute until dal starts to change color. Add khus khus and saute for few seconds on low heat.
Add the dry coconut and saute for few minutes on low heat, stirring continuously. Or if coconut is used, it is to be roasted slightly and then powdered alongwith the other ingredients.
Turn off the heat and leave it to cool and powder it coarsely.
Preparation:
Wash dal first and cook it in pressure cooker with water for 2 whistles and keep it on low flame for 10 minutes. Put off the flame and then, open the cooker after it is cooled, mash it a little and close and keep it aside, once the dal is cooked.
Heat 1 tsp ghee. Add shallots, beans cut into 1/4 inch pieces, peas and carrot sliced small and saute for some time. When it is cooked, add tamarind water and jaggery powder.
Let it boil until raw smell leaves. Add bisi bele bath powder (I use home made powder).
Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add the mashed dal and stir well. Then add the oats and cook it well. Make sure to stir as it may turn lumpy. Keep it on slow fire for about 3 -4 minutes. You may add 1/4 cup hot water if it becomes too thick.
Heat a tbsp of ghee and fry cashews until golden, remove. In the same kadai, add the seasonings listed under ‘seasoning’ and let it splutter.Add the seasonings also to the rice and dal. Mix well and serve hot with a tsp of ghee. Garnish with coriander leaves.
