Bisi Bele Anna Recipe
Bisi bele anna or Bisi bele rice is a recipe from Karnataka. It is a very healthy and easy to cook recipe that forms a complete meal with carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables. It tastes awesome especially during cold winter days. The masala called the 'Bisi bele anna masala' needed to make it is also very easy to make at home and can be prepared in advance. Also the choice of vegetables to add can be yours.
Ingredients
- Rice - 1 cup
- Split pigeon peas (Toor / Arhar Dal) - 1/2 cup
- Tamarind Pulp - 1/2 tsp concentrated or by squeezing a soaked 1x1 inch piece of dry tamarind
- Oil - 4 tsp
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida (Hing) - 1/4 tsp
- Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves - 7-8
- Dried red chilies - 2
- Onion - 1 small vertically cut
- Carrot - 1 peeled and cut into small cubes
- French beans - 1/2 a cup
- Capsicum (green pepper) - 1/2 cup cut into small pieces
- Potato - 1 small peeled and cut into small cubes
- Bisi bele anna masala - 1 &1/2 - 2 tbsp
- Salt - To taste
- Coriander / Cilantro leaves - Small bunch finely chopped
Instructions
- Mix 1 cup rice with 1/2 cup toor daal and wash thoroughly. Add 4 cups water and cook soft in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle. Reduce the heat to low for 5 minutes and then turn off the gas.
- Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of hot water for 1/2 an hour. (Omit this step if using concentrated tamarind pulp.)
- In a pan, heat 4 tsp oil, and add a. After they crackle, add 1/2 tsp asfoetida (hing), 1 tsp turmeric powder, and 7-8 curry leaves.
- Add red chilies and onion and stir fry till the onion becomes slightly brownish.
- Add peeled and vertically cut pieces of one carrot, 1/2 cup peeled and cut pieces of bottle gourd (lauki), 1/2 cup green pepper cut into big square pieces, 1 small potato peeled and cut into big cubes. You can add other vegetables of your choice like cauliflower or green peas.
- Add 1 cup water, cover and cook till all the vegetables are soft. (You may also precook all the vegetables in a microwave. In that case, just add all the cooked vegetables after the onion has been stir fried.)
- Now add the cooked rice and dal to it. Reduce heat to low and add 3 tbsp Bisi bele anna masala to it.
- Add more water if needed.
- Now squeeze all the juice out of the soaked tamarind (step 2) and add to Bisi bele rice or add the concentrated tamarind pulp (if using that instead).
- Mix well and bring to boil on low heat.
- Garnish with finely chopped coriander and some ghee (clarified butter) and serve hot.
