Flavours of India Part 11: Bisi Bele Bath and the Comforting Cuisine of Karnataka

This is Part 11 of Flavours of India, our series on India's regional cuisines. Start from Part 1: Chettinad or read the previous part, Part 10: Maharashtra.

Karnataka's cuisine changes as you travel across the state. Udupi on the coast gave India its temple-style vegetarian food and the modern South Indian restaurant. Mysuru is known for royal dishes like Mysore pak and masala dosa. Mangaluru offers fiery seafood and the famous chicken ghee roast, while Kodagu (Coorg) is famous for its pandi (pork) curry. In the north, jowar rotti and spicy ennegai (stuffed brinjal) rule.

What makes Karnataka cuisine special

• Byadgi chillies: deep red, mild chillies that give vibrant colour.
• Ragi (finger millet): eaten as ragi mudde (balls) with saaru, a staple in the south.
• A touch of jaggery balancing tamarind and chilli in many dishes.
• Coconut and ghee in temple and festive cooking.

What is bisi bele bath?

Bisi bele bath means "hot lentil rice" in Kannada. It is a spiced, tangy one-pot dish of rice, toor dal and vegetables, flavoured with a special roasted masala, tamarind and ghee. It is popularly believed to have originated in the kitchens of the Mysore Palace.

Bisi bele bath recipe

Serves: 4 · Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: 40 minutes

For the bisi bele bath masala

• 1 tbsp chana dal and 1 tbsp urad dal
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 6-8 byadgi chillies
• 1 inch cinnamon, 4 cloves, 1 marathi moggu (optional)
• 3 tbsp dry coconut (kopra), grated
• 1 tsp oil

For the bath

• 1/2 cup rice and 1/2 cup toor dal, washed
• 1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, potato, capsicum, drumstick)
• A lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp jaggery, 1/2 tsp turmeric and salt to taste

For the tempering

• 3 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp mustard seeds, a pinch of hing
• 15 curry leaves, 2 dried red chillies and 12 cashews

Method

1. Masala: in a little oil, roast the dals until golden. Add coriander, cumin, fenugreek, chillies and whole spices and roast until fragrant. Add the coconut and roast for a minute. Cool and grind to a fine powder.
2. Cook rice and dal: pressure-cook rice and dal with turmeric and 3 1/2 cups water for 4-5 whistles until very soft. Mash lightly.
3. Cook vegetables: boil the vegetables in the tamarind water with salt until tender.
4. Add 3-4 tbsp of the masala and the jaggery to the vegetables, with a little water, and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add the rice-dal mixture and simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes, adding hot water to get a soft, porridge-like consistency. It thickens as it cools.
6. Temper: heat ghee, add mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves, red chillies and cashews. Pour over the bath and mix.

Tips

• Keep it loose; bisi bele bath should be pourable, not dry.
• Store extra masala in an airtight jar for up to a month.
• Be generous with ghee for the authentic taste.

How to serve

Serve hot with khara boondi, potato chips, papad and onion raita.

Other Karnataka dishes to try

• Mysore masala dosa with red chutney
• Ragi mudde with bassaru
• Mangalorean chicken ghee roast and neer dosa
• Coorg pandi curry with akki rotti
• Mysore pak and Dharwad peda

Visiting? Explore the ruins of Vijayanagara in our Hampi travel guide.

Next in Flavours of India: Andhra Pradesh's pesarattu.