BisiBele Bath/ Sambar Rice/ Hot Lentil Rice

Just as the name suggests, it is a very traditional Udipi (a region in Karnataka) dish. Again, being the usual me, this recipe I made today has variations to suit my taste buds.

This recipe involves the grinding of a fresh masala powder . I have listed it's ingredients in portions so that, it is easier to grind a quantity depending on your needs and store the excess in an air-tight container.

Ingredients:

Serves four

10-15 baby onions peeled
4-5 beans cut to about an inch in length
1 carrot cut to thin trips for about an inch in length
1 cup peas
1 tomato diced
1 capsicum chopped lengthwise
1 cup grated coconut
1 cup tamarind pulp
1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
2 cups raw rice
1 tsp Mustard seeds
5-6 Fenugreek seeds
4-5 dried red chillies
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 cup finely chopped cilantro
a handful of curry leaves
a dash of Aesofatida
Salt to taste
Oil
5-6 tbsps of Ghee/ clarified butter

For Masala:

Coriander seeds - 1 portion
Cumin seeds - 1/2 a portion
Chana Dal (deskinned split garbenzo beans) - 2 portions
Urad Dal (deskinned black lentils) - 1 portion
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 portion
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 3 pieces
Green Cardamom - 2 pieces
Dried Red Chillies - to taste
Dry roast the above ingredients with the desired amount of dried red chillies. I have used about 12 chillies, as you can see in the picture above.  Add the chillies in the end as they tend to redden quicker. Roast them all until brownish red but take care not to burn them. Spread them and let cool. Once at room temperature, grind them very finely. If warm, there are chances for lumps to be formed while grinding and their storage capacity decreases.

Method:

Add about 3-4 tbsps of oil to a pressure cooker. Temper with mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried red chillies, curry leaves and a aesofatida. Add the onions and saute till they turn transparent. Add tomatoes and saute it liquifies. Now add all the vegatables and toss briefly. Add coconut. Add the tamarind pulp. Now add turmeric powder, ground masala and Salt to taste. Add the toor dal and rice and mix well. Add about 10 cups of water, mix well and close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook till the rice turn soft say for about 5-6 whistles. Once done, add ghee and mix well, mashing the rice in the process. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve hot. It is best had with Raitha and Papad or Potato chips like the ones that have been homemade here in the picture below.

Note:

The recipe described here has been based entirely in the quality of the ingrdients I use. It is bound to vary espcially when it comes to the quality of toor dal or raw rice. You might need to soak either or both accordingly in water, in advance to match the method given above. Sometimes, it is also suggested that that the dal be cooked in advance.