Tag: dal

Bisi Bela Baath with Oats

Rice

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

Add dal with 4 cups of water in pressure cooker and cook

Pulse the ingredients for the powder finely in a mixie.
Cook the veggies in a pan.

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.

Carrot Thogayal

Chutneys

This thogayal is typically eaten with rice but can also be eaten with dosas, idlis or uthappams. Thogayal is a coarse textured chutney which is not as runny as a chutney. We also make thogayals using other ingredients like ridge gourd peels, coconut thogayal, paruppu thogayal etc. A simple tasty thogayal which will you will love.

Ingredients:

Grated carrot – 1 cup

Coconut – 1/4 cup

Red chillies – 3-4 

Black gram dhal/Urad dhal – 1 tsp

Bengal gram dhal/ kadala paruppu- 1 tsp

Water – 1 tbsp

Tamarind – 1/2 marble size 

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan/ kadai. Add both the dals and fry for sometime. Add red chillies, fry till dals get golden. Add asafoetida. Remove and keep aside. Add 1/2 tbsp oil to same kadai and fry grated carrots for 2-3mins. Wash the tamarind well and soak in warm water as this will make the grinding easier. Grind all the dals and chillies in a mixer. Then add the carrot, coconut, tamarind and 1 tbsp water as well and grind once to a slightly coarse paste. Consistency of chutney can be changed according to preference by adding more or less water.

Simple Tomato Dal with Tamarind

Vegetarian

Ingredients:

Tur dal – 1/2 cup

Medium onion – 1/2 chopped

Green chillies slit – 2

Tomatoes – 3 ripe

Garlic – 4 -5 pods

Tamarind – 1 small ball mixed in water

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt – As needed

Seasoning:

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Jeera – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Whole red chilli – 1

Curry leaves – a sprig

Crushed pepper – 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

Cook with tur dal, onion, slit green chillies, ripe tomatoes, garlic pods, turmeric powder. After it is cooked, mash tomatoes well. Add salt, tamarind juice (depending on your preference for sourness) and boil well for 5 mins. 

Put off the fire and add the items listed under “seasoning” and chopped coriander. Cover the lid immediately so that the flavours are retained inside.

Bisi Bele Baath

Rice

Also known as Bisi Bele Huli Anna, it is a hot lentil rice which is tasty, delicious and a wholesome complete meal with vegetables. It is one of the most popular dishes of Karnataka and my favourite too…..

Ingredients:

Raw rice – 1 cup

Tur dal – 1 cup

Water – 4 1/2 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 tablespoons

Jaggery – 1/4 tablespoon

Cashews – 10 – 12 pieces

Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Red chillies – 1

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Mustard seeds – 1tsp

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

Jeera – 1/4 tsp

Pepper – 1/4 tsp

Dry coconut (Copra) – 1 or coconut – 1/2

Instructions:

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 rice and dal first and cook it in pressure cooker with water for 2 whistles and keep it on low flame for 5 to 6 minuts. 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. And then add the mashed rice and dal and stir well.

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.