Bisi Bele Bath | Bisi Bele Huli Anna (With Bisi Bele Bath Powder Recipe)

Bisi Bele Bath is Karnataka’s version of Sambar Rice. This ultimate comfort food is a medley of rice, tuvar dal and vegetables flavoured with warming spices such as cinnamon and cloves. This delicious one-dish meal is typically enjoyed with some crisp Khara Boondi or then Papad.

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There is something about ready-to-eat rice dishes that really appeals to me; may be it is the ease of eating these dishes or then just the fact that they incorporate many flavours in one dish. One of my absolute favourites in this category is Bisi Bele Bath. 

Also called Bisi Bele Huli Anna, the recipe for this wholesome and delicious dish from Karnataka combines lentils, rice, and vegetables to make for a filling and nutritious meal. While Bisi Bele Bath is soul food in itself, you can make it even more enjoyable by garnishing it with Khara Boondi or then serving it with some roasted papads and assorted vadiyalu. Of course, you can also make it even more nutritious by serving a mildly flavoured vegetable stir-fry like Cabbage Poriyal or Beans Poriyal on the side.

Some Points to Note About the Bisi Bele Bath Recipe

• The traditional Bisi Bele Bath recipe uses Marathi Moggu. Replace it with cloves, a spice of the same family.
• The Bydagi Chillies give this dish its lovely reddish brown colour while the spicy red chillies are there for the heat.
• You can replace the cashews with peanuts. While neither cashews or peanuts are important in terms of the flavour, they do add a crunch to the otherwise soft texture. Reduce the number of spicy red chillies, if you so wish.
• Use aged tamarind which is dark in colour and has a tangy taste. Freshly harvested tamarind has a light brown colour and a sweeter taste.
• Bisi Bele Huli Anna does not use pepper in the spice mix or onion as a vegetable. 

Difference Between Bisi Bele Bath and Sambar Rice (Kadamba Sadam)

Bisi Bele Bhath is similar to Sambar Sadam or Kadamba Sadam. The major difference is that Sambar Rice uses coriander seeds and pepper as a flavour base, and uses vegetables such as drumstick, baby aubergines, and lady finger (okra). Bisi Bele Bhath, on the other hand, uses cinnamon, marathi moggu, javitri and cloves with vegetables such as French beans, carrots, and peas.

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Other South Indian Rice Recipes You May Enjoy

In South India, you will find a plethora of flavoured rice dishes, from the popular to the exotic. Here are a few of the recipes for some of the more popular rice dishes:

• Chintapandu Pulihora or Tamarind Rice
• Nimmakaya Pulihora or Lemon Rice
• Kobbari Annam or Coconut Rice
• Kadamba Sadam or Sambar Rice
• Tomato Rice

I had first posted this recipe when I started the blog in 2013. That shows how dear this Bisi Bele Bath Recipe is to me. I am finally updating it now to make it current and searchable!

How to Make Bisi Bele Bath | Bisi Bele Huli Anna Maduva Vidhana

Cooking the Rice and Dal

1. Mix together 1/2 cup rice and 1/3 cup tuvar dal.
   

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2. Wash well under running water.
3. Add 1.5 cups of water and pressure cook for 4 whistles or till the rice-dal mix soft.
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Extracting the Tamarind Pulp

1. In 1/4 cup warm water, soak 3/4 tbsp tamarind for 5 minutes. This is a tamarind ball about the size of a small-sized lemon.

2. After 5 minutes, mash the tamarind well and squeeze to extract the pulp.
   

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Making the Bisi Bele Bath Masala (I do this while the rice-dal mix is cooking)

1. 1. Over medium flame, heat a heavy-bottomed kadai for 1-2 minutes.
   2. To the heated kadai, add 1/2 tbsp chana dal and dry roast for 1 minute. I do this because the chana dal needs more time to roast than udad dal.
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   3. Now add 1/2 tsp of udad dal and dry roast the dals till they are golden brown.
      

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   4. Transfer to a plate to cool.
   5. Next, dry roast 1″ piece of cinnamon and 3 Marathi Moggu (or cloves) in the kadai till the cloves get a whitish tinge, and then transfer to the plate with the roasted dals.
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   6. Dry roast 1 tbsp coriander seeds and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds till they start to brown, and then add them to the plate with other Bisi Bele Bath masala ingredients.
   7. Now dry roast 1/4 tsp methi seeds till they change colour, and then transfer to the plate.
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   8. Next, dry roast 1/2 tsp khus khus or poppy seeds till they start to change colour. Once again, transfer to the plate to cool.
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   9. After the poppy seeds, dry roast 1 tbsp grated coconut till it turns brown. Add to the plate with the rest of the ingredients.
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   10. Now add 1/4 tsp oil to the kadai, and then add to 2 spicy red chillies such as Guntur or Pandi chillies, and 4 Bydagi chillies to it.
   11. Stir-fry the red chillies till they change colour. The spicy red chillies will start to swell.
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   12. Transfer the roasted red chillies to the plate and immediately add 1/4 tsp hing on top of the chillies. The heat from the hot chillies is enough to release the aroma of the asafoetida.
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   13. Once all the ingredients of the Bisi Bele Bath Masala cool, grind them to a coarse powder.
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   14. Then add some water and grind to a smooth paste. This is an optional step; however, making a paste helps the masala blend well into the Bisi Bele Huli Anna.
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Making the Bisi Bele Bath

1. In a heavy-bottomed vessel or kadai, over medium flame, heat 1 tsp ghee. Use oil for a vegan version.
2. Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and wait till they crackle.
3. Now add a few curry leaves and stir-fry for a few seconds.
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4. Next, add 1/4 cup chopped French beans and 1/4 cup chopped carrot.
5. Stir-fry for 1 or 2 minutes.
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6. Now add the tamarind pulp and 1/4 cup water.
7. Cook covered for till the beans and carrots soften a bit.
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8. Now add 1/4 cup peas and cook covered for 5 minutes till the peas are cooked. This time I added Avarekalu or Surti Papdi which were in season.
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9. Add the Bisi Bele Bath masala, salt as needed, and 1/2 cup water. Mix well.
10. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the mix comes to a boil.
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11. While the Bisi Bele Masala and vegetable mix is cooking, use a ladle to mix the cooked rice-dal mix well and mash it a bit.
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12. Add the mashed rice-dal to the vegetable and masala mix and mix well.
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13. Now add some water so that the Bisi Bele Bath has a loose consistency.
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14. Cook the Bisi Bele Huli Anna for 5 to 7 minutes.
15. Turn off the heat.

Adding the Fried Cashews as Garnish

1. In a tempering ladle, over medium heat, melt 1 tsp ghee. For a vegan version, use oil.
2. Break 6 to 8 cashews into quarters and then add to the ghee or oil.
3. Stir-fry till the cashew pieces are brown.
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4. Add to the fried cashew pieces to the Bisi Bele Bath and mix well.
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Serving Suggestions

• • Serve hot Bisi Bele Bath with Khara Boondi sprinkled on top or with papad on the side.

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Recipe for Bisi Bele Bath (With Recipe for Bisi Bele Bath Powder)

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Bisi Bele Bath | Bisi Bele Huli Anna (With Recipe for Bisi Bele Bath Masala Powder)

Aruna

Bisi Bele Bath, also known as Bisi Bele Huli Anna, is a delicious and nutritious rice dish from Karnataka.

This comfort food is a medley of rice, tuvar dal, vegetables and warming spices. While it is similar to Sambar Rice or Kadamba Sadam of Tamil Nadu, what sets Bisi Bele Bath apart is its use of Cinnamon and Marathi Moggu (a spice similar to Clove).

Traditionally, Bisi Bele Huli Anna is served with a topping of Kara Boondi (Theeka Boondi) or then a side of papad.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Brunch, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Gluten Free, Indian, Karnataka, South Indian, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings 3 People

Calories 279 kcal

Equipment

• Pressure Cooker (3 litre capacity)
• Large Kadai or Heavy Bottomed Vessel (2 litre capacity)
• Small Kadai (1/2 litre capacity)
• Small Plate
• Chopping Board and Knife
• Grinder
• Spoon
• Ladle
• Measuring Cups

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1/2 Cup Rice
• 1/3 Cup Tuvar Dal

Vegetables

• 1/4 Cup French Beans (Cut into 1/2” pieces)
• 1/4 Cup Carrot (Cut into 1/2” pieces)
• 1/4 Cup Peas

For the Bisi Bele Bath Powder

• 1/2 tbsp Chana Dal
• 1 tsp Udad Dal
• 1/8 tsp Methi
• 1/2 tsp Khus Khus
• 1 tbsp Grated Coconut
• 1" Cinnamon
• 3 Cloves (See Notes)
• 2 Spicy Red Chillies
• 4 Bydagi Chillies
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
• 1/4 tsp Oil

For Tempering

• 1 tsp Ghee For vegan version, use oil
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
• A Few Curry Leaves

For Garnish

• 1 tsp Ghee
• 8 Cashews (Split into quarters; replace with 2 tbsp Peanuts, if required)

For Tamarind Pulp

• 3/4 tbsp Tamarind
• 1/4 Cup Water

Other Ingredients

• Water As Required
• Salt to Taste

Instructions

 

Cooking the Rice and Dal

• Mix together 1/2 cup rice and 1/3 cup tuvar dal well under running water.
• Add 1.5 cups of water and pressure cook for 4 whistles or till the rice-dal mix soft.

Extracting the Tamarind Pulp

• In 1/4 cup warm water, soak 3/4 tbsp tamarind for 5 minutes.

  This is a tamarind ball about the size of a small-sized lemon.
• After 5 minutes, mash the tamarind well and squeeze to extract the pulp.

Making the Bisi Bele Bath Masala (I do this while the rice-dal mix is cooking)

• Over medium flame, heat a heavy-bottomed kadai for 1-2 minutes.
• To the heated kadai, add 1/2 tbsp chana dal and dry roast for 1 minute. I do this because the chana dal needs more time to roast than udad dal.
• Now add 1/2 tsp of udad dal and dry roast the dals till they are golden brown.
• Transfer to a plate to cool.
• Next, dry roast 1" piece of cinnamon and 3 cloves in the kadai till the cloves get a whitish tinge, and then transfer to the plate with the roasted dals.
• Dry roast 1 tbsp coriander seeds and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds till they start to brown, and then add them to the plate with other Bisi Bele Bath masala ingredients.
• Now dry roast 1/8 tsp methi seeds till they change colour, and then transfer to the plate.
• Next, dry roast 1/2 tsp khus khus or poppy seeds till they start to change colour. Once again, transfer to the plate to cool.
• After the poppy seeds, dry roast 1 tbsp grated coconut till it turns brown. Add to the plate with the rest of the ingredients.
• Now add 1/4 tsp oil to the kadai, and then add to 2 spicy red chillies and 4 Bydagi chillies to it.
• Stir-fry the red chillies till they change colour. The spicy red chillies will start to swell.
• Transfer the roasted red chillies to the plate and immediately add 1/4 tsp hing on top of the chillies. The heat from the hot chillies is enough to release the aroma of the asafoetida.
• Once all the ingredients of the Bisi Bele Bath Masala cool, grind them to a coarse powder.
• Then add some water and grind to a smooth paste. This is an optional step; however, making a paste helps the masala blend well into the Bisi Bele Huli Anna.

Making the Bisi Bele Bath

• In a heavy-bottomed vessel or kadai, over medium flame, heat 1 tsp ghee. Use oil for a vegan version.
• Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and wait till they crackle.
• Now add a few curry leaves and stir-fry for a few seconds.
• Next, add 1/4 cup chopped French beans and 1/4 cup chopped carrot.
• Stir-fry for 1 or 2 minutes.
• Now add the tamarind pulp and 1/4 cup water.
• Cook covered for till the beans and carrots soften a bit.
• Now add 1/4 cup peas and cook covered for 5 minutes till the peas are cooked. This time I added Avarekalu or Surti Papdi which were in season.
• Add the bisi bele bath masala, salt as needed, and 1/2 cup water. Mix well.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes till the mix comes to a boil.
• While the Bisi Bele Masala and vegetable mix is cooking, use a ladle to mix the cooked rice-dal mix well and mash it a bit.
• Add the mashed rice-dal to the vegetable and masala mix and mix well.
• Now add some water so that the Bisi Bele Bath has a loose consistency.
• Cook the Bisi Bele Huli Anna for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Turn off the heat.

Adding the Fried Cashews

• In a tempering ladle, over medium heat, melt 1 tsp ghee. For a vegan version, use oil.
• Break 6 to 8 cashews into quarters and then add to the ghee.
• Stir-fry till the cashew pieces are brown.
• Add to the fried cashew pieces to the Bisi Bele Bath and mix well.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve hot Bisi Bele Bath with Khara Boondi sprinkled on top or with papad on the side.

Notes

• The traditional Bisi Bele Bath recipe uses Marathi Moggu. Replace it with cloves which is a spice of the same family.
• You can replace the cashews with peanuts. While neither cashews or peanuts are important in terms of the flavour, they do add a crunch to the otherwise soft texture.
• The Bydagi Chillies give this dish its lovely reddish brown colour while the spicy red chillies are there for the heat.
• Bisi Bele Huli Anna does not use pepper in the spice mix or onion as a vegetable. 

Nutrition

Calories: 279 kcalCarbohydrates: 47 gProtein: 9 gFat: 7 gSaturated Fat: 3 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 2 gCholesterol: 9 mgSodium: 803 mgPotassium: 210 mgFiber: 7 gSugar: 4 gVitamin A: 2246 IUVitamin C: 27 mgCalcium: 66 mgIron: 2 mg

Keyword Bisi Bele, Bisi Bele Bath Powder, Bisi Bele Bath Recipe, Bisi Bele Huli Anna, Bisi Bele Huli Bath, Bisi Bele Maduva Vidhana, No Onion, No Garlic Recipe, Rice Dishes, Sambar Rice

Tried this recipe?Do let me know how you liked it @aahaaram or tag #aahaaram!