BISI BELE BHATH

Bisi Bele Bhath which means Hot Lentils and Rice is a dish from Karnataka.. It is a complete meal in itself as it contains rice, dal and a mix of vegetables.
Here I have shared a quicker way of making this dish,
Though it sounds very complex, it's very easy to make.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup rice
1 cup toovar dal (pigeon peas)
3-4 cups of mixed vegetables (beans, carrot, potaoes, peas etc)
Chop the vegetables into large cubes to prevent them from getting overcooked.

• SPICES USED

3-4 cloves ( laung/lavang)
1 1/2'' piece of cinnamon  (dalchini)
1 small cardamom (elaichi)
1 1/2-2tsp sambar powder
1 tsp coriander powder(dhania powder)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder(haldi)
1/4 tsp asafoetida ( hing)
salt
2-3 tsp Tamarind pulp
Curry leaves

FOR TEMPERING
6-7 tsp oil
3 tbsp groundnuts
1 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
3-4 whole red chilies
Curry leaves
2 onions, sliced
2 tomatoes finely chopped

METHOD

• Add about 5 cups of water to a pressure cooker and add rice, dal , vegetables, 1 tsp salt, turmeric powder and cook till you get one whistle.

• Meanwhile fry the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom in a drop of oil and powder them.

• In a vessel add a cup of water, the powdered spices, turmeric powder, sambhar powder ,coriander powder,1tsp salt ,asafoetida (hing) curry leaves and boil well till the raw smell of the powder is gone. You will get a nice aroma of the spices.

• Check your pressure  cooker now. The presuure would have subsided and you may be able to remove the lid. Check to see that the dal is cooked.

•  Add a cup of water and mix lightly. The rice should not turn to a paste.

•   Mix the  spiced up tamarind water and simmer. 
• Add water to make the mixture of a medium pouring consistency. Stir occasionally, but always be careful not to mash up the rice. Check the taste now. You can then adjust the sourness and spice (chili) in your  tempering.

• Heat oil. Add the groundnuts, mustard and  hing.  When the mustard splutters, add the red chilies and curry leaves
• . Add the sliced onions and saute till they become transparent .
•  Add the chopped tomatoes and salt and fry till  the water starts evaporating from the  tomatoes and the oil  starts leaving the sides . You can add an extra tomato if you want the rice mix to be  sour. Remember you have checked the mixture before!! 
•  Add sambhar powder or chili powder as per your requirement and mix this to the rice mix.

The whole mix should be semi solid in consistency.

Serve with papads and fried chilies and sandige . (These are sun dried products easily available in the super markets)

SANDIGE MENASU, HAPPALA , ARALU  SANDIGE

MIXED VEGETABLE KURMA

INGREDIENTS

2 cups chopped vegetables like beans,carrot,green peas and potatoes. Do not peel the potatoes. Wash them well and chop along with the skin.
1/4 tsp jeera(cumin)
3/4 cloves(lavang)
1" piece cinnamon(dalchini)
1 tsp poppy seeds(khus khus)
2/3 green chiilies
2/3 cloves garlic
1" piece ginger
1 small onion
1/4th cup grated coconut
2tsp roasted gram(putana)
A handful of fresh coriander leaves
salt to taste

METHOD
Boil the vegetables along with a little salt and keep aside. In a drop of oil, fry the cloves,cinnamon,cumin and poppy seeds.Grind the above fried spices along with the other ingredients to a fine paste.
Add this paste to the boiled vegetables along with a pinch of turmeric and salt as per taste. Mix well.
Bring to a boil. When it just starts boiling , remove from flame.
This tastes well with rotis and puris.

The kurma should not be boiled too much after adding the ground masala. If boiled too much, the oil from the coconut gets separated.

NOTE

I have used very mild spices. If you like it spicy ,you can increase the quantity of ginger, garlic and green chilies as per your taste and flavour.

SPICY CURRIES

All these curries are semi solid in consistency and not do not have a gravy.
They taste very good with rotis or can even be relished with plain curd rice.                                                           
                                                   SPICY BRINJAL

INGREDIENTS

3-4 medium sized brinjals cut lenghth wise 

(Keep the sliced brinjals in a bowl of water to avoid blackening)

2 medium onions sliced
2 tomatoes chopped
1 green chilly slit into two
2-3 lavang (cloves) crushed
1 tej patta (bay leaf)
1/2 tsp jeera(cumin seeds
2-3 tbsp oil
A pinch of haldi (turmeric powder)
1/2 tsp chilly powder
a pinch of garam masala
Salt to taste

                                      
METHOD
Heat oil in a pan. Add the cloves and bay leaf. Then add jeera. When it fries add the green chilly and onions and saute till they become transparent. Add a pinch of salt to speed up the process. Add finely chopped tomatoes and fry till the water evaporates. Add haldi and chilly powder. Mix well and add the brinjals. Add salt and mix well. Sprinkle a little water and cover and cook on low flame. Keep mixing occasionally till the brinjals become soft. A little water can be added if the mixture is sticking to the bottom. Add garam masala and mix. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves(dhania patti).

                                 CABBAGE  AND POTATO SABJI

INGREDIENTS
3 cups chopped cabbage finely chopped
2 small poatoes cut into small cubes
1 medium tomato
A few chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp dhania(coriander) powder
1/4 tsp jeera powder (cumin)
1/2 tsp chilly powder
A pinch of haldi(turmeric)
A pinch of hing(asafoetida)
A pinch of garam masala (optional)
2 tbsp oil

METHOD
Heat oil. Add the jeera and hing. Then add the chopped potatoes. Fry for a few mins.Then add the cabbage and mix well. Stir fry for a min or two. Add haldi and salt and cover and cook for some time. When the potatoes are almost  soft , add all the spices and mix well. Fry for a min. Then add chopped tomatoes and cover and cook till the water of the tomato evaporates. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Sprinkle a little water to get the required consistency.

                                      POTATO IN A JIFFY !

I always make this when I am in a hurry or am not in a mood for patient cooking.
This small cute pressure cooker of mine helps me in this task. This was gifted to me by my mother and now I just can't do without it.

I do not use any measurements here. 
Keep the cooker for heating on a slow flame. Meanwhile peel and chop 2 potatoes, a tomato and a little bit of coriander leaves.
Add oil to the pressure cooker.Add jeera ,hing, potatoes,tomatoes.coriander leaves, haldi, dhania powder, red chilly powder and salt. Add some water. Cover the lid and pressure cook for 5 mins. Open the lid when pressure subsides and mix well.
Voila! the curry is ready to be devoured.