Bisi bele bath
A hearty Karnataka one pot of rice, lentils and vegetables, spiced and sharp with tamarind.
- Time1 hr
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.60 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Rinse the rice and toor dal and put in a large pan with the water and turmeric. Simmer, partly covered, for 25 minutes until very soft.
25 min - 2
Meanwhile dry fry the coriander seeds, chana dal, dried chillies, cumin and coconut for 3 minutes. Grind to a powder.
3 min - 3
Add the carrot, beans, peas, tamarind and salt to the rice and dal and cook for 10 minutes.
10 min - 4
Stir in the ground spice mix and add a splash of hot water if too thick. The texture should be like loose porridge.
- 5
Simmer for 5 minutes.
5 min - 6
Heat the oil in a small pan, pop the mustard seeds, add the curry leaves, then pour over the top and stir in. Serve hot.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.