My husband’s colleague, who is from Mangalore (India) made Carrot halwa. I haven’t made carrot halwa for a while (2 plus years :P- since turning vegan-cos it has too much ghee and people in recent years have started using condensed milk). He gulped it in a minute- An entire box filled with Carrot Halwa while I was watching. Have to make a vegan version of it soon.
So he wanted me to make something back for this wonderful colleague of his. My mum has this authentic Bisibela Bath (Lentil rice) recipe that I wrote down before the wedding. Took me 25 mins to process the recipe. I chucked the paper away -Was way too complex for me. My husband found the paper and suggested that I shouldn’t be giving up and make it for his colleague. I rewrote the recipe and made it as easy as I could make it 🙂 It was such a big hit when I took it over to friend’s and his colleague loved it too 🙂
This is what you need-A spice mix exclusively for the rice. This is the recipe for the spice mix. You can make heaps and store it in a container
For the spice mix You need- this will make about 5 Tbsp
- Coriander seeds-2 heaped Tbsp
- Bengal Gram/Split Chickpeas/Channa Dal-1 heaped Tbsp
- White Lentils-1 heaped Tbsp
- Poppy seeds-1/2 Tbsp
- Cloves-4
- Cinnamon-couple of tiny pieces
- Red chilies-10
- A piece of star anise
- Fenugreek seeds-1/2 tsp
- Coconut oil -1 tsp
PLUS
- Desiccated coconut-2 heaped Tbsp (to be dry roasted separately until golden brown)
Method:
- You add Coconut oil and all the above spices roast until brown.
- Grind everything together and store in an air tight container
Now goes the recipe for the lentil rice.
BISIBELA BATH RECIPE
Ingredients you need:
- Coconut oil-1 Tbsp (Recipe calls for Ghee-Coconut oil made this rice so rich-better than ghee my mum adds onto it)
- Tamarind pulp-a small lime sized quantity-tightly packed-take a tbsp press as much as tamarind you can in there. that’s half a lime quantity. So times 2. [soak that in 1 cup of water-juices extracted once, then another cup of water for the 2nd extract, another 1/2 cup for 3rd extract]
- Mustard seeds-1 heaped Tbsp
- Bisibela bath spice powder-2 heaped Tbsp+1 tsp
- Shallots-10-15
- Asafoetida-1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves-1 sprig
- Cashews-10-15
- 3/4 cup white rice
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Split Pigeon Peas
- 1 carrot-chopped into chunks
- 1 potato-chopped into chunks
- Few Green beans-chopped roughly
- Green peas-a handful
- Chokos-de-seeded and roughly chopped
- Eggplant-1 medium sized-roughly chopped
- Turmeric powder-1 tsp
- Salt-needed
- 1/2 tomato-roughly chopped
Method:
- In a pressure cooker or a large stockpot, add all the ingredients starting from white rice until tomatoes and cook until mushy. For 1 cups of rice and lentils, add 3.5 cups of water-so it well done 🙂 [if you are pressure cooking, You can boil vegetables first, mash them and then boil rice and lentils together (porridge-like consistency]
- While you are cooking the lentils, rice and veges, in large stockpot,, add coconut oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and then add Shallots in and let it brown outside
- Add 3 extracts of tamarind water, bisibela spice mix, salt for that and let it boil for 12 mins on medium heat
- Now, transfer the cooked vegetables, rice and lentils mixture into the stockpot and mash them with the back of the laddle and stir until it thickens a little. It has to be like a thick porridge 🙂
- Add a tsp of coconut oil in a small pan, add cashews, roast until brown and pour them over the lentil rice.
- In the same pan, add 1.5 Tbsp of heaped desiccated coconut, roast until brown and add it too.
- Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with popadums 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe Charanya. I so wanted this since long time. Am saving it.
One question : when you say lentils, it’s not the masoor. Is it toor or dried pigeon peas dal?
Its Toor dal 🙂 Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Thank you for sharing your recipe with me. More to the point I could not stop laughing at the fact that you stood there watching your husband gulp it down all on his own.
Fear not healthy jewels is there to rescue you. Ghee is edible by vegans because the process it goes thorough breaks down the fat soluble which many people can’t tolerate. This is due to the lactose element. So use same recipe with ghee (or you could try coconut oil) and substitute milk with soya milk.
Good Luck
Healthy jewels
Lol 🙂 He does that all the time.
I think you meant ghee is lactose-tolerant. Cos it comes out of milk-a bi-product of an animal produce, vegans can’t eat it 🙂 Thanks for being there to rescue me. I didn’t know ghee was lactose-tolerant 🙂
Thanks for your comment 🙂
This looks wonderful. What is the Bengal Gram? Is that a chickpea flour?
Thanks 🙂 Yes-The gram that produces chickpea flour. The split chickpeas that you find in supermarkets. They do not resemble chickpea at all though. I just checked an unopened packet-you need to ask for ‘Channa dal’ in Indian grocery store
Well, I’m the colleague of your husband and I loved the bisibele bath you sent. My husband loved it too. It was yum!! Thank you.
Hey 🙂 Am glad you liked it 🙂 Couldn’t send it earlier 🙂 You’re very welcome
Well presented and articulated recipe Charanya…
Thanks 🙂