Besi Bele Bhat (spicy rice with pulses and vegetables)

I recently tried this recipe for the very first time and i absolutely loved it. This delight from south Indian cuisine is also a healthy treat with Toor dal for proteins and all the goodies of vegetables. You can add vegetables as per your liking. You can always make it with ready mix for besi bele bhat readily available in Indian Grocery Store. But using little sambar masala instead also works just fine.

Easy to make, this is one dish meal for me.

Nutrition Value of Toor dal, onion, green beans, carrots, peas and potato

- 1 cup diced Carrots
- 1 cup Green Beans in 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup Peas
- 1 small Potato peeled and diced
- 1 small Onion chopped in long slices
- Curry leaves
- Coriander leaves chopped
- 4 tablespoon Tamarind paste or as per desired taste
- 1 small piece of jaggery
- 2-3 pinch of hing (asafoetida)
- White Rice and Toor dal in equal parts ¾ to 1 cup
- 1-2 tablespoon sambar masala
- Turmeric powder
- Red chili powder
- Grounded coriander powder
- Mustard seeds
- Cumin seeds
- 3-4 tablespoons oil or Ghee

1. Wash dal and rice together thoroughly and keep aside
2. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds
3. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, grounded coriander seeds and sambar masala
4. Add curry leaves, onion and stir well
5. Add carrots, beans, peas and potatoes, cook for few minutes
6. Add washed dal and rice, stir
7. Add salt and tamarind paste and jaggery
8. Add 5-6 cups of hot water, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes on medium heat, while stirring after every 7-8 minutes
9. Add more hot water if necessary as you cook
10. Cook till all the vegetable are cooked properly and dal and rice is very soft
11. Serve hot with ghee on top and some potato chips


** For the left over besi bele baht add some hot water and heat again.