Bisi Bela PALAK Anna / Bisi Bela PALAK Bath.

Bisi Bela PALAK  Anna / Bisi Bela PALAK  Bath. 

Story behind this variation of the standard Bisi Bela Bath - Bisi Bela Bath is a popular main dish in South India, for lunch, dinner or breakfast.  Here in Suvidha Retirement Village, Bangalore, I had in my home garden a very good crop of Palak, and after cutting out only the leaves, leaves sprouted again and again. Hence every now and then I planned some dish or other using palak. For a change I thought, why not use my abundant palak for a Bisi Bela Bath!  It tasted like the usual Bisi Bela Bath and is also quite nutritious because of the generous use of fresh palak.  Instead of varieties of vegetables added in standard Bisi Bela, Palak leaves are added in this variation. 

Ingredients.
 Same as usual Bisi Bela Bath except that instead of various vegetables, we use plenty of Palak and one Onion and one Tomato.   1) ½ Cup Rice – can use Basmati, if preferrd. 2) Equal amount of Toor Dal – 1:1 with Rice.  3) Palak One cup or more.  4) Onion one medium sized. 5) One Tomato, medium sized.  5) Green Chillies 2-3.  6) Tamarind juice from a small lime sized Tamarind. 7) Jaggery about one tablespoonful.  8) Bisi Bela Bath Masala Powder – ready made from market; I use home made one – about 3 -4 teaspoons. 9) salt as needed. 10) Ghee, 2-3 teaspoons. 11) Cashew nuts 6-8 split.   12) Curry leaves – few.

 

       Ingredients: 1) Rice 1/2 cup. 2) Toor Dal 1/2 cup. 3) Tamarind- small lime size.
       4) Jaggery - about a tablespoon. 5) Green Chillies -2.  6) Bisi Bela Masala - 2 tsp. 
       7) Tomato -one. 8) Onion -one. 9) Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp. 10) Cashewnuts -5/6.
       11) Palak - about one cup when cut. 12) Ghee - 2-3 Tsp (not shown).

Method:
 Wash in water, rice and toor dhal and soak for about 30 minutes. Cut washed and dried palak into small pieces. Chop onion and Tomato fine and split the green chillies.

 1) In a pressure cooker heat 2 teaspoons of coconut oil or any other cooking oil, and blanch in medium flame, Onions first, then add Tomato for about a minute and lastly chopped Palak. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.

                     
Onion, Tomato & Palak blanched/cooked.             Soaked Rice and Dal also added. 1:3 water.

2) Add soaked rice and dal, add water in 1:3 proportion and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

 3) Open the cooker when cool, check consistency (not too dry nor too watery); add water as needed and salt required, split green chillies, tamarind water and powdered jaggery. Finally add Bisi Bela Bath Masala – about 3 tsps., mix and bring to boil once again. 

 
After pressure cooking, add water if needed, salt, Tamarind juice, powdered Jaggery, Split Green Chillies and Bisi Bela Bath Masala.  

 4) Transfer it to serving dish and garnish with split cashew nuts in ghee till light brown with some curry leaves too.

Finally garnish with cashew nuts roasted in ghee with curry leaves.

Bisi Bela Palak Bath is now ready to serve. It is eaten with Cucumber, Tomato raita, plain curds, pickles like Mango thokku and Crisp Boondi or appalam.

Preparation time – preparing and chopping all items, and complete cooking and garnishing, about 35 – 40 minutes.

Serves 2 – 3 persons as the full meal or more persons if part of a meal with some other dishes, like Parotas, Poori etc.