BANGALORE
FOOD
BISI
BELE BAATH
INGREDIENTS
1½
teacups washed toor dal.
1½ teacups uncooked washed white rice
100 grams (4 oz) cut beans
100 grams (4 oz) cut carrots
2 potatoes cut into cubes
2 green peppers cut into thin strips
2 tsps oil
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsps mustard
6 to 8 tsps tamarind water
Roasted peanuts (optional)
BisiBele bath powder (Available at Indian grocery stores)
1 sprig curry leaves
Salt to taste
Method:
Heat
about 8 teacups of water in a vessel. When it starts boiling, add
the oil, turmeric, washed toor dal. Cover the lid and cook for 7
to 8 mins.
Add the washed rice and cook for another 5 mins.
When the rice is almost cooked, add all the cut vegetables along
with the bisibele bath powder and cook till the vegetables are done.
Add more water if required.
Add tamarind water, roasted peanuts and salt.
Season mustard and curry leaves in 2 tsps oil.
Remove the bisibele bath from flame and top it with the seasoning.
The preparation should be semi-solidish.
VANGI
BAATH
INGREDIENTS
1
medium sized eggplant
coriander seeds
asafoetida
2-4 dried red chillis
urad dal
turmeric
cinnamon sticks.
basmati rice
shredded coconut
1 large lemon
METHOD
Cook
the rice. The usual way - but to get it dry, fluffy and light
(not at all sticky)..
Skin
the eggplant and chop it into cubes; sprinkle lemon juice on the
the cubes (+ some salt) and let sit for 30 mins or so.
In a large saucepan, heat some oil and when hot, toss the spices
in and fry for 2-3 mts..
When the color had changed dark, use a slotted spoon and toss the
contents into a plate lined with a paper napkin (this will drain
out the oil sticking to the spices).
Add some oil to the pan and when hot, toss the coconut in and keep
stirring until the coconut becomes brown/golden.
Remove in a manner similar to the spices.
To the pan, add some oil and when hot, add the soaked eggplant cubes
and stir.
Remove the eggplant and keep in a warm container.
In a blender (or coffee grinder), blend the spices and coconut until
you have a powder.
In a pot, boil 1/4th cup water, lotsa lemon juice, 1/2 tsp turmeric
and some salt.
Into the cooked rice, toss the contents of the pot and stir.
The rice should take on the color of the turmeric.
Now, add the contents of the blender.
The rice should take the color of the spice-mix and here and there,
you can see a glimpse of the yellow turmeric color.
Squeeze lemon onto the eggplant; let sit for 1-2 mts; toss the eggplant
into the rice and stir.
Vangi
bath is ready. Serve with yogurt raita/pachadi.
CHITHRANNA
- LEMON RICE
INGREDIENTS
1
cup rice
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad daal
1 tsp chana daal
handful cashews
handful raisins
pinch turmeric
1 cup mixed vegs
1 lemon
METHOD
Cook
rice.
Heat
oil and add all other ingredients except for the lemon. Fry as appropriate.
Mix stuff in pan with rice. Squeeze the lemon and add the juice
to the rice.
MAVINAKAYANNA
- MANGO RICE
INGREDIENTS
2-3
green unripe mangoes
Handful of peanuts
7-8 cashewnuts
2-3 teaspoonful of bengal gram (Chana daal)
4-5 green chilies
a handful of chopped kothumbari soppu (dhaniya leaves, coriander
leaves)
8-10 curry leaves (karibevina soppu, karivapalai)
a pinch of arishina (haldi, Manjal, turmeric)
a pinch of hing (asafetida)
a teaspoon of Saasuve' (mustard)
A handful of grated coconut (preferably freshly grated, but the
dry variety from stores may
be used if it is the unsweetened variety).
1 lb or 1/2 Kg of plain rice (long grain, not basmati or jasmine).
METHOD
Keep
the rice in a rice cooker, with a little short on water, so that
when cooked, the rice will be non-sticky and separate.
Cut the mangoes, remove the seed. Grate the green mango pieces.
It is essential that the mangoes are not ripe and are sour to taste.
If they are not sour, use half a piece of lime's juice to make up
for the sour taste.
After grating the mangoes, keep the pulp aside.
Take the grated coconut and a teaspoon of mustard, 3-4 green chilies,
in a dry grinder, grind them well.
This should provide a fine, freshly ground mustard flavour.
Add the mango pulp, grind for a short period, take the paste out
and keep it aside.
In a separate Pan or non-stick vessel, take 2-3 table spoons of
oil, warm it up on a low fire.
Add the bengal gram/chana dhal, groundnut seeds, fry them well,
add cashew nuts (optional).
After the whole thing starts to turn golden brown, add the chopped
coriander leaves and curry leaves.
Add a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of hing (asafetida).
For hot flavour half a piece of red chili can be added.
Move all the things to the edge (circumference) and keep the middle
part clear.
Add just one teaspoon of oil, add the ground paste (coconut,green
chili, mustard and mango pulp) to this centre part and slowly turn
around for a minute or two till the musky green colour of mango
pulp changes to a milder green.
The key is to mellow the fresh sour taste but "not to overcook"
which can
completely change the sour taste to a bitter taste.
Switch off the fire mix all the things (centre and circumference)
and allow it to cool.
Spread the cooked rice evenly on top of it, allow all of it to cool.
Add salt to taste, and turn around the whole thing by hand (softly)
so
that the rice mixes well and evenly with the paste and the fried
ingredients.
Add 1 spoon of ghee while turning around, to give a fine flavour.
Allow it to sit for an hour or two before serving.
This rice can be reheated in a microwave before serving.
PULIYOGARE
- TAMARIND RICE
Ingredients
1
cup fresh shredded coconut
4 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp peppercorns
A pinch of hing(asoefetida)
4 tsps peanuts, shelled and skinned
2 tsp mustard seeds
12 red chillies
4 tsps white sesame seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 tsp urad dal(black gram dal)
1 tsp channa dal( bengal gram dal)
8 tsp oil or ghee
1 1/2 cups thick tamarind juice
1 small piece jaggery or 1 tsp sugar
2 tsp cumin seeds
Method
Roast
the coconut and set aside.
Roast the coriander, cumin, 6 red chillies,
1 sprig curry leaves, pepper, asoefetida,
1 tsp mustard, 2 tsp sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp
channa dal,1 tsp urad dal and 2 tsp peanuts
one by one till they turn aromatic.
Powder to a fine powder using a coffee grinder and set aside.
Mix in the coconut gratings and powder once again.
Set aside.
Heat some oil and add the remaining musatard seeds,
red chillies, urad dal, channa dal, peanuts, sesame seeds and curry
leaves.
When the seeds start crackling, add the tamarind juice and salt/jaggery.
Mix well.
Add salt to taste. The liquid will start boiling.
Now add the powdered masala and simmer till you get a sticky masala.
Heat through and cool.
This will keep well for a month in a airtight container if refrigerated.
Mix this with plain cooked rice to get puliyogare or tamarind rice.
