Bisi Bhela Bhath (the way my mom makes it)

Saturday being all veg day, wanted something spicy and comforting. So asked amma to make sambar rice (bisi bhela bhath). Few of my dad’s relatives in Bangalore use whole garam masala whereas my mom doesn’t use it.

Ingredients
Rice – 2 1/2 Cups
Tuvar Dhal -  1 cup (Boiled with a pinch of turmeric and asafoetida and mashed well)
Sambar onions – 1 cup
Tomato – 4 chopped
Chopped Vegetables – 2 carrots, 1 chow chow, handful of beans, 4 brinjals.
Drumstick – 2 boiled and the pulp extracted
Green chilies slit lengthwise – 6 to 7
Salt to taste
Oil

To temper
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Red chillies – 3
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 3 sprigs

For Masala
Channa dhal – 2 tsp
Red chillies – 10
Dry coconut – 3 tbsp
Dhania – 2 tsp
Fry the above in little oil and grind to a coarse powder

Method
Take a heavy bottom vessel or a pressure cooker and heat oil. add the items to temper.Now add the sambar onions, green chillies and tomato and fry till tomato is soft. Add the cut vegetables and fry for a while till the raw smell goes followed by the drumstick pulp.

Finally add in the soaked rice, boiled and mashed tuvar dhal and the masala powder and mix well and check for salt. Add in enough water (1 : 4 rations is also ok as we need it real mushy)  and close the cooker lid and wait for 3 whistles.

Garnish with cashews fried in ghee and chopped coriander. Serve hot with appalam, chips or tomato thokku.

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