Wheat Bisi Bele Bath

Preparation

• Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup of water for 15 minutes and then squeeze it to extract tamarind juice, discard the residue.
• Take broken wheat and pigeon pea lentils in separate vessels and add cup of water to each. Pressure cook both of them till soft. I have pressure cooked for 3 whistles and in simmer for 5 minutes.

Method

1. Heat a wide cooking vessel with tamarind juice and jaggery. Bring it to boil for about 5 minutes. Next add 3 cups of water and continue cooking.
2. Add chopped vegetables, turmeric powder and salt to this tamarind juice. Let the veggies cook till soft and pulpy. When the vegetables are done, include bisi bele bath powder and combine well.
3. Next add cooked pigeon pea lentils and broken wheat. Let broken wheat absorb all the spices and the mixture turn little thick. Then switch it off.
4. Finally heat a seasoning pan and add mustard seeds, split black gram lentils and curry leaves. As the mustard seeds sizzle, include cashews and saute for while. Transfer the seasoning to bisi bele bath.
5. Serve this hot broken wheat bisi bele bath along with potato chips or kara boondi.

Notes

• You can also include other vegetables like turnip and double beans.
• The bisi bele bath turns thick when it cools down to room temperature. So initially when you prepare it, keep it to running consistency.
• Seasoning this rice with ghee enhances the taste and flavor. So do not skip it.
• Potato chips and kara boondi pairs well with bisi bele bath. But you can even try cucumber raita.