The wealthy heritage and versatile delicacies of Karnataka in South India is as placing as every other regional delicacies of India. With an abundance of tasty dishes each in vegetarian and non-vegetarian, you’ll positively miss onto one thing if you’re not making an attempt out this meals tradition. A few of the basic picks embody Neer Dosa, Mysore Masala Dosa, Mysore Pak and the Bisi Bele Bathtub. On this submit, I’ve shared an genuine Karnataka type Bisi Bele Bathtub Recipe, which is a deliciously full meal of rice, lentils and veggies.

What’s Bisi Bele Bathtub
Often known as Bisi Bele Huliyanna, Bisi Bele Bathtub is actually a spicy dish made with rice, lentils and greens that’s tempered with typical South Indian spices and nuts. A particular spice mix known as the Bisi Bele Bathtub powder can be added to it, which provides it the genuine style.
Should you break down the phrases, in Kannada language, ‘Bisi’ means sizzling, ‘Bele’ refers to lentils and ‘Bathtub’ means rice. Therefore these three Kannada phrases actually imply – Sizzling Lentil Rice.
The primary time I attempted the standard Bisi Bele Bathtub was at an MTR eatery in Bengaluru (earlier Bangalore), Karnataka. This was additionally as a result of my husband had beneficial it as this distinctive dish is one in all his favourite. And to be trustworthy, even I fell in love with this specialty, within the very first chew.
In keeping with historical past, this dish is alleged to have its origins within the Mysore Palace, from the place it took about 100 years to return out after which ultimately unfold to different components of Karnataka in addition to South India.
Together with the distinctive masala powder and the Marathi moggu (kapok buds) that goes within the tempering, the Bisi Bele Bathtub Recipe additionally has tamarind which contributes to the dish’s distinctiveness. Typically, a customized or custom-made recipe of this dish might also have about 30 substances!
For the reason that typical spice combination is an integral a part of the Bisi Bele Bathtub Recipe, you must have it useful at dwelling. The very best factor to do is to make use of the selfmade mix versus a readymade one from the market. For that reason, you’ll be able to confer with this straightforward DIY Bisi Bele Bath Powder recipe of mine.
Making the Bisi Bele Bathtub Recipe is a protracted course of. You need to prepare dinner the rice, lentil and the veggies individually after which combine every little thing. Properly, it’s not simply mixing the place you cease. There may be positively extra.
About This Recipe
The Bisi Bele Bathtub is so widespread that you just simply get it in nearly all South Indian eating places in Karnataka in addition to exterior this state. While dwelling in Bengaluru too, it was a should for us to order a portion of this healthful dish every time we’d go to an MTR chain of eating places.
Since then, the dish actually grew on me. A lot that I needed to study and share its recipe on my weblog too. I occurred to find Pratibha’s Blog, from the place I’ve loosely tailored my Bisi Bele Bathtub Recipe too.
The flavors make all of the distinction, which primarily comes from the Bisi Bele Bathtub Powder and the tempering in direction of the tip. This particular masala combine offers numerous depth and taste to the dish on the entire.
As I’ve talked about earlier, it’s apt to make use of your individual selfmade batch of this spice mix. Simply in case you’ll be able to’t, then go for an excellent high quality store-bought one.
Additionally, you’ll be able to prepare dinner the dal first. Then, add the rice, greens in it and prepare dinner them collectively within the strain cooker. Typically, I do it this fashion too, to chop down on the time and steps. On this submit, I’ve proven the standard approach of cooking every little thing individually.
The veggies that may be added on this recipe are carrots, turnips, inexperienced peas, brinjal (eggplant or aubergine), French beans, kohlrabi (ganth gobi), capsicum (inexperienced bell pepper), chayote squash (chow chow). I’ve added a few of these in my recipe. It’s also possible to add your individual alternative of greens.
Step-by-Step Information
Methods to make Bisi Bele Bathtub
I’ve divided the complete recipe into 4 steps for ease of understanding and making.
- Step 1 – Cooking rice
- Step 2 – Cooking lentils and greens
- Step 4 – Making Bisi Bele Bathtub
- Step 4 – Tempering Bisi Bele Bathtub
Cook dinner Rice
1. Rinse 1 cup rice and ¼ cup uncooked peanuts first. Another choice is simply too skip the peanuts at this step and fry them within the tempering after which add.

2. Add 2.5 cups water.

3. Soak each rice and peanuts for 20 to 25 minutes within the water.

4. Add ¼ teaspoon edible rock salt or common salt. Carry on the stovetop and prepare dinner the rice. No have to cowl the pan with the lid.
Whereas I’ve cooked the rice in a pan, be happy to prepare dinner in a stovetop strain cooker (add 2 cups water) or the Instantaneous Pot (add 1.5 to 2 cups of water).

5. Simmer until the rice grains are tender and cooked properly. The peanuts will even prepare dinner properly. Cowl and put aside.

Cook dinner Lentils and Greens
6. Soak 1 tablespoon tightly packed tamarind in ½ or ⅔ cup heat water for 25 to half-hour.

7. Later squeeze and extract the tamarind pulp within the soaked water. Pressure and hold apart.

8. In a 3 litre stovetop strain cooker, add ¾ cup rinsed pigeon pea lentils (tuvar dal), ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and a couple of cups water.

9. Strain prepare dinner the lentils on excessive warmth for 8 to 9 whistles.

10. As soon as the strain settles down naturally by itself within the cooker, then solely open the lid. Mash the lentils with a spoon or whisk and put aside.

11. In one other pan, take the chopped greens and sprinkle ¼ teaspoon edible rock salt or common salt.
The greens I’ve added are:
- 1 medium-sized carrot, chopped
- 18 to twenty french beans, chopped
- ½ cup inexperienced peas – recent or frozen
- 3 to 4 small brinjals or child brinjals (small eggplants), chopped
- 1 medium-sized onion or 2 to three shallots, chopped
- 1 medium-sized tomato, chopped

12. Pour 2 cups water and stir to mix.

13. Cowl pan with lid and prepare dinner the greens until fork tender and cooked properly, but nonetheless retaining their form.

Make Bisi Bele Bathtub
14. Now, within the cooker with the mashed lentils, add the cooked rice and peanuts.

15. Then, add the cooked greens along with the inventory.

16. Stir flippantly.

17. Add 1 cup water or as wanted.

18. Add the ready tamarind pulp.

19. Combine every little thing gently, taking care the rice grains don’t break.

20. Now, in one other pan or bowl, take 3 tablespoons Bisi Bele Bathtub masala and 1 cup water.

21. Stir and blend very properly. The masala tends to stay to the again of the spoon whereas stirring, so scrape it off and add to the combination.

22. Now add this Bisi Bele Bathtub masala resolution into the cooker stuffed with the cooked rice, lentils and greens.

23. Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened desiccated coconut.

24. Stir and blend properly. Additionally, add salt as required, retaining in thoughts that we’ve got added salt to the greens and rice too.

25. Hold the cooker with out the lid on the stovetop and simmer on low warmth for about 15 to twenty minutes. Add extra water, if required.
Stir typically in order that the Bisi Bele Bathtub doesn’t burn on the base. The uncooked aroma of the tamarind has to go away and the flavors ought to be blended properly. Cowl and hold apart, as soon as achieved.

Mood Bisi Bele Bathtub
26. In a small tempering (tadka) pan, warmth 3 to 4 tablespoons ghee or oil. Crackle 1 teaspoon mustard seeds first.
Then, fry 12 to fifteen curry leaves, 1 to 2 Marathi moggu, 2 to three dried pink chilies (seeds eliminated), 18 to twenty cashews and ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing).
Fry till the dry pink chilies change colour and the cashews flip a light-weight golden.

27. Instantly pour this tempering combination along with the oil within the ready Bisi Bele Bathtub and stir.
Cowl the cooker with the lid for about 5 minutes, in order that the tempering flavors infuse within the tub.

28. Serve Bisi Bele Bathtub with potato chips, banana chips/wafers or fried papads and raita or yogurt. Should you choose, high with a little bit of ghee, whereas serving.

Skilled Suggestions
- The Marathi moggu or kapok buds are a should within the Bisi Bele Bathtub Masala combination. So, if you’re making your selfmade batch of this spice mix and may’t discover the spice in your native market, order on-line. Nonetheless, it’s non-obligatory within the tempering of the dish. So, you’ll be able to skip it there.
- Should you don’t need to add the uncooked peanuts with the rice at first, then skip doing that. As an alternative, fry them within the tempering after which add.
- Guarantee cooking the bisi bele tub until the uncooked taste of the tamarind goes away and the flavors mix properly. whereas cooking, add water and hold stirring in order that it doesn’t burn on the base.
- With a purpose to make the flavors of the tempering infuse properly within the tub, cowl the cooker and hold it for about 5 minutes after stirring within the tempering.
- You’ll be able to at all times alter the consistency in keeping with your preferences, however don’t make it skinny.
Extra Rice Recipes To Attempt!
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Bisi Bele Bathtub (Genuine Karnataka Model)
Bisi Bele Bathtub recipe is a scrumptious, hearty and wholesome meal of rice, lentils and greens that’s tempered with spices and nuts. Bisibelebath is among the widespread recipes from the Karnataka delicacies.
Prep Time 1 hr
Cook dinner Time 20 minutes
Complete Time 1 hr 20 minutes
Forestall your display screen from going darkish whereas making the recipe
Cooking rice
Rinse the rice and peanuts a few occasions in water. Take them in a pan and pour 2.5 cups water over them.
Soak each rice and peanuts for 20 to 25 minutes. Later add the salt.
Hold the pan the stovetop and prepare dinner the rice on medium to medium-high warmth.
If required, then you’ll be able to add some extra water whereas cooking the rice.
Convey to a boil after which decrease the warmth. Simmer until the rice grains are tender and cooked properly and all of the water has been absorbed. The peanuts would additionally prepare dinner properly. Cowl and put aside.
Cooking lentils and veggies
Soak 1 tablespoon tightly packed tamarind in ½ or ⅔ cup heat water for 25 to 30 minutes.
Later squeeze and extract the tamarind pulp within the soaked water. Pressure and put aside.
In a strain cooker, add rinsed tur dal, turmeric powder and a couple of to 2.5 cups water.
Strain prepare dinner for 8 to 9 whistles on medium warmth or till the dal is cooked comfortable and mushy.
As soon as the strain drops by itself within the cooker, then solely open the lid. Mash the dal with a spoon and put aside.
In one other pan, take all of the chopped veggies and ¼ teaspoon salt. Pour 2 cups water and stir to mix.
Cowl and permit the veggies to prepare dinner until they’re fork tender however nonetheless retain their form.
Making bisi bele tub
Now within the cooker containing the mashed dal, add the cooked rice and peanuts.
Then add the cooked greens together with its inventory. Stir flippantly to combine.
Add 1 cup water. Add the ready tamarind pulp. Combine every little thing properly taking care the rice grains don’t break.
Now in one other pan or bowl, take the three tablespoons of the bisi bele tub masala and 1 cup water.
Stir to combine very properly. The masala tends to stay to the again of the spoon whereas stirring, so scrape it off and add to the combination.
Now add this bisi bele tub powder and water combination within the cooker.
Add desiccated coconut. Add 1 teaspoon salt or as required. Stir and blend.
Hold the cooker with out the lid on the range high and simmer on a low warmth for about 15 to twenty minutes. Add extra water if required.
Carry on stirring typically. The uncooked aroma of the tamarind has to go away and all of the flavors ought to be blended properly. Cowl and put aside as soon as achieved.
Tempering bisi bele tub
In a one other pan or the tadka (tempering) pan, warmth ghee or oil first. Crackle the mustard seeds after which mood the curry leaves, marathi moggu, dry pink chilies, cashews and asafoetida until the dry pink chilies change colour and the cashews flip a light-weight golden. Don’t burn the spices.
Pour this tempering within the ready bisi bele tub. Stir and canopy the cooker with its lid for about 5 minutes, in order that the tempering flavors infuse within the bisi bele tub.
Later serve the bisi bele tub with potato wafers or banana chips/wafers or fried or roasted papads. Whereas serving you’ll be able to high with some ghee for those who choose.
- Use any good number of short-grained or medium-grained rice.
- For the lentils, ideally use unpolished tur dal.
- You’ll be able to alter the spices and seasonings as required.
- To steadiness the spicy and tangy flavors, you may add about 1 to 2 teaspoon of jaggery.
- Omit the cashews for those who don’t have them.
- As an alternative of ghee you should utilize oil.
- Choose so as to add greens like carrots, turnips, inexperienced peas, french beans, kohlrabi, capsicum (inexperienced bell pepper), chayote squash (chow chow), cauliflower, broccoli.
- As an alternative of cooking rice and peanuts in a pan, you’ll be able to prepare dinner them in a stovetop strain cooker (add 2 cups water) or the Instantaneous Pot (add 1.5 to 2 cups of water).
Diet Information
Bisi Bele Bathtub (Genuine Karnataka Model)
Quantity Per Serving
Energy 389 Energy from Fats 135
% Every day Worth*
Fats 15g23%
Saturated Fats 7g44%
Polyunsaturated Fats 2g
Monounsaturated Fats 5g
Ldl cholesterol 19mg6%
Sodium 630mg27%
Potassium 571mg16%
Carbohydrates 55g18%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 2223IU44%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.2mg13%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.1mg6%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 26mg130%
Vitamin B6 0.3mg15%
Vitamin C 54mg65%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin Ok 19µg18%
Calcium 75mg8%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 293µg73%
Iron 2mg11%
Magnesium 71mg18%
Phosphorus 156mg16%
Zinc 1mg7%
* P.c Every day Values are primarily based on a 2000 calorie weight loss program.
This Bisi Bele Bathtub Recipe recipe from the archives first printed in 2013 has been up to date and republished on January 2023.
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