Bisibela Bath

Though this very lengthy and time taking process, it taste too good.

Ingredients

1 cup rice

¾ cup toor dhal

100 gms small onions (shallot)

2 drum sticks (boiled and pulp taken separately)

2 tbsp pea nuts

1 tsp each peas & chopped carrot (optional)

Tamarind a small gooseberry size ball (soaked in water and juice extracted)

3 tbsp gingelly oil

2 tbsp ghee

Few curry leaves

¼ tsp turmeric powder

A pinch jaggery (optional)

Salt to taste

For Masala powder - Ingredients & method

2 tbsp grated coconut

1 tbsp coriander seeds

5 red chilies

¼ tsp fenugreek

Asafetida a pinch

1 small piece cinnamon

2 or 3 cloves

Few curry leaves

1 tsp oil

Heat oil in a pan and all the above ingredients one by one finally add coconut fry till brown.

Make it as dry powder and set aside.

Method

Wash and soak rice & dhal for 5 minutes.

In a cooker add 1 spoon oil 5 cups of water.

Let the water boil well, add rice & dhal, vegetables and turmeric powder,

Peanuts, drum stick pulp and ½ spoon ghee.

Pressure cook this for 5 whistles and set aside.

In pan heat oil add onions fry till brown.

Add tamarind water to the above, cook till raw smell goes.

Add half of the masala powder, mix well and switch off the gas.

Add this to the above rice & dhal mix.

Add salt and ½ cup boiled water and mix well.

Again cook this in low flame for 5-8 minutes. Open the cooker after 15 minutes.

Now add left over masala powder, curry leaves, a pinch jaggery and oil mix well.

Serve hot with a spoon of  melted ghee or gingelly oil.

Goes well with potato chips.

Tips

If you use more tamarind the taste won’t be nice.

Adding oil first in the cooker, rice & dhal won’t stick in the bottom.

Use only small onions & drum stick, no need to add any other vegetables.

Adding a pinch of jaggery at the final will enhance the taste.