Hot Lentil Rice / Bisibelabath /Sambar Rice

Hot Lentil rice / Bisibelabath is a onepot meal and its a filling one. Here, rice is cooked in ghee along with the lentils, mixed veggies and a delectable spice powder in a single pot.

This is a popular dish in southern parts of India. This dish needs some pre-preparation. If all the ingredients are handy, it can be prepared easily. Do not avoid using the veggie drumstick in this recipe. It gives an unique flavour to this recipe and we can get the exact taste as given in hotels.

Topping it with a spoon of ghee before serving, enhances the flavour of the whole dish.

Ingredients:

Rice – 200 gms (approx 1 cup)

Toor dhal – 100 gms

Pearl onions / Shallots – 15 to 20 nos

Tomato – 4 nos

Tamarind – lemon sized ball

Salt – to taste

Water – 2 1/2 cups

Ghee – 1/2 cup

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Uradh dhal – 1/2 tsp

Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves –  1 sprig

Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Chopped veggies: 

Drum stick – 1

Carrot – 2 nos

Beans – 50 gms

Chayote – 1 (small)

White pumpkin – 100 gms (chopped)

Bisibelabath powder:

Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp

Chana dhal – 1tbsp

Methi seeds –  1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Dry red chilli – 4 to 5 nos

Grated coconut – 1 tbsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Pre-preparation:

1. For bisibelabath powder,                                                                                                                                              In a small pan, add a tbsp of oil and dry roast coriander seeds, chana dhal, methi seeds, cumin seeds, red chillis, grated coconut and asafoetida.                                                Cool this mixture completely and grind it in to fine powder (if not, little coarse)
   

   Bisibelabath powder ingredients

   

   Dry roasted ingredients

   

   Bisibelabath powder
2. Rinse the toor dhal. In a cooker, cook it for 5 mins in medium flame with a cup of water. Keep it aside.                                              
3. Extract thick pulp from a lemon sized tamarind which measures about 1/2 cup. Keep this aside.
4. Chop the veggies: drumstick, carrots, beans, chayote and white pumpkin. Chopped mix veggies measure about 2 to 2 1/2 cups.

 

These pre-preparations are to be done just before we actually start to cook. These are a must, to avoid last time hurry and to avoid messy kitchen countertop.

Actual preparation:

1. In a cooker, add 1/4 cup of ghee (reserve remaining 1/4 cup ghee).
2. Add in the mustard seeds, uradh dhal and methi seeds. Let its flavour arise.
3. Then throw in curry leaves and 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves(reserve remaining for garnish).
4. Now add the whole pearl onions and fry till transparent.
5. Then add the chopped tomatoes and fry tilll mushy.
6. Add the chopped mixed veggies now and mix well.
7. Mix in the Bisibelabath powder (which we prepared already) now.
8. Fry the mixture for about 2 mins.
9. Now its time to add the washed rice to the veggie mixture.
10. Along with rice, also add the cooked toor dhal and the tamarind pulp.
11. Mix everything well and now add 2 1/2 cups of water. Add required salt.
12. Close the lid of the cooker and cook in low flame for 20 mins.
13. After 20 mins, bisibelabath is ready and top with remaining 1/4 cup of ghee.
14. Garnish with coriander leaves.
15. Hot piping lentil rice is ready to be served with pappad or raita.