Bisi Bela Bath (Sambhar Rice)

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 2 cups

Lentils (Toor Dal) - 1 & 1/4 cup

Green gram (Moong Dal) - 1/4 cup

Vegetables (Carrot, Green peas, Potatoes, French beans) - Cubed or sliced - 2 cups

Drumstick - 1 or 2, cut 2 inch long

Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Small Onions (Sambhar onions) - 15

Tomatoes - 2

Asafoetida powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Onions - 2 medium sized

Cashew - 10-15

Tamarind - medium lemon sized

Ghee - 3 tablespoons

Red Chillies - 2

Chilli powder - 2 tablespoons

Coriander powder - 2 tablespoons

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Fenugreek - 1/2 teaspoon

Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves - few

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash rice, dals and vegetables well. Pressure cook them well with small onions, sliced tomatoes, cut drumsticks, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, cumin seeds. If pressure cooker is not available, cook in a heavy bottomed pan until rice and dal becomes soft.

Soak tamarind in a cup of warm water.

Heat Ghee in a pan, fry the cashews and keep aside. Add oil to the pan, add mustard seeds once it is hot. Once it starts spliting, add red chillies, fenu greek seeds, garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. Add sliced onions, curry leaves and fry until onions turn golden brown. Add this to the cooked rice. Also add tamarind extract, salt to the rice and mix well. Continue cooking on a low flame, stirring continuosly until all mixes well.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fried cashews and serve hot with indian crackers.

Note: Those who like masala flavour, they can add 1-2 cloves, 1 small cinnamon when they cook rice.

Cooking time : 60 minutes

Serves - 4-5 persons