Bisibele Bhath

Payaswini's Recipes





Ingredients:
1 cup rice, washed and drained
2 cups toor dal
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tbsp. oil
1 1/2 cups chopped, mixed vegetables
(beans, carrots, bell pepper, ridge gourd, turnip, peas)
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. tamarind juice
1 small piece jaggery
6-8 curry leaves
2 tbsp. ghee or butter
1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves.
Salt to taste
For Masala:
1 tsp. ghee
1 tbsp. bengal gram
1 tbsp. black gram
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 tbsp. poppy seeds (gasagase)
1/2 cup grated copra (dry coconut, kobbari)

8-10 dried red chillies
3 cloves
1 cardamom pod
1 small piece jaikai
1 cinnamon stick, broken

For Seasoning:
1 tsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
Method:
For Masala:
Heat ghee in a pan, add all the masala ingredients (except dry coconut) and roast until lightly browned.
Remove from the heat and mix with dry coconut.
Then grind to a smooth paste with water. Set aside.
Wash dal and put it in a heavy based sauce pan with water, 1 tbsp. oil and turmeric and cook.
After the dals are cooked add onions, vegetables and allow it to cook.
After the vegetables are half cooked add rice.
Keep on stirring, add water if required.
After the rice is almost cooked add the ground paste, tomato, tamarind juice, salt, jaggery, curry leaves. Let all the ingredients mix well while you keep stirring.
Add ghee and simmer until the mixture blends. Remove from the heat.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, allow to splutter and pour it over the rice mixture and mix well.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with Raita.