Millet Bisi Bele Bath is a flavorful, aromatic, healthy, easy to make a one-pot meal made with millets, lentils and vegetables. This is a Jain recipe made without onion and garlic though you can add it if if you wish to.

Also, this is my way of making it Bisi Bele Bhat. This famous dish from South India is made with a North Indian touch and that too with millets in a much easier way.

Though it has everything that is there in the recipe of Bisi Bele Bath but it's just that mine is moist but still slightly on a drier side, without being too mushy. This one is somewhere between Pulao and Khichdi.

Though this recipe is perfect for any day but is especially useful during the current lockdown situation as it is made with staple pantry items namely, lentil and millet plus whatever veggies you have.

What Is Meant By Bisi Bele Bhat?

Bisi Bele Bhath is a delicacy of Karnataka where Bisi means Hot, Bele means Lentil and Bhath or Bath means Rice. Thus, hot Lenti Rice.

It's a dish where rice and lentils are cooked with vegetables and spices. It is supposed to have originated in the Mysore Palace and obviously as it started from a palace, the traditional way of making is very elaborate too.

But this recipe has been simplified so that we can cook it in the comforts of our kitchen as and when desired.

 

Easy One-Pot Recipe

The way I made it is very simple but still was full of taste. For the recipe, I turned to my niece, Prachi Gupta, who has been making this for the past few years and is a hit at her place. She is like my daughter only and feels nice when a stage comes where you get to learn many things including recipes from your children too.

It was her idea only to make it a one-pot dish. She uses everything that is there in Bisi Bele Bath but the method is much easier and simpler. I think her stay in a hostel in Bangalore during her graduation days led her to evolve this easy method. But if we can get the same flavourful dish in a much easier way then why not? I followed her method only but the only change I did was to swap rice with millets.

Also, I used Sambhar Masala in this rather than Bisi Bele Bhath masala powder. The two powders are different in the sense that Bisi Bele Bhath also has some whole spices, so I used Sambhar Masala Powder along with whole spices. I can't say how much difference it makes but we were satisfied with the outcome.

 

My Experience With This Recipe

Superb! Yes, this one word is all that I need to say regarding my trial with this dish. I used Browntop millet and Tuar dal in equal proportion. Before cooking, it looked as if I should have taken fewer lentils but once made it came out perfect. Also, I kept it slightly on a drier side rather than making it mushy or liquidy.

 

 

Bisi Bele Bhat Or Khichdi?

You can call it khichdi as it uses both lentils and rice but is very different from Khichdi.

• Bisi Bele Bhath is much more aromatic, flavourful and healthier than khichdi.
• Khichdi is usually made with just lentils and rice whereas Bisi Bele Bhath is loaded with veggies too.
• Consistency of khichdi is mashed where lentils and rice perfectly blend with each other whereas in Bisi Bele Bhath the grains are visible separately.
• Besides, Khichdi is day to day food whereas Bisi Bele Bhath is a delicacy.
• Khichdi is eaten all over India in different variations whereas Bisi Bele Bhat belongs to Karnataka.

 

Now before we proceed towards the recipe, let us have a look at Brown top millet.

BrownTop Millet

Its sheer coincidence that I used Brown top millet for making Bisi Bele Bhat. I am saying so that Bisi Bele Bhat is a dish from Karnataka and so is Brown Top Millet. While researching about this millet I came to know that it is grown in the drylands of Karnataka only. What a coincidence! However, that doesn't mean you have to use Brown Top millet only. You can use any other millet too, be it Foxtail (kangni) or Barnyard (Sama) or Little (kutki) or Kodo.

BrownTop Millet is a forgotten millet and is not much known and has recently made a comeback. Actually, when I was buying my stock of millets then the shopkeeper showed me this and i was like, Is this a millet? Never heard of! There is only a Kannada name for this and in no other languages. Its Kannada name is Korale.

Nutrition In Brown Top Millet: This gluten-free millet is included in the list of Siridhanya and is rich in fibre, contains 12.5% and is thus considered as a medicine for treating various lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart-related ailments.

 

 

How To Make

Though it is a simple recipe but you have to take care that you soak millets for at least 8 hours, the more the better. So, soak millet for a minimum of 8 hours and Tur dal for half an hour.

In the meantime, soak tamarind and make sambhar masala. I made it instantly using lentils and desiccated coconut powder. Ideally, you should take fresh coconut but I used what I had ready in my pantry. I am sharing here my brief method of making Sambhar Masala. But if you have it handy in your pantry then use it.

Also, chop veggies. Use whatever you have. I used beans, carrot, peas and tomato.  Also, use lot of ginger and green coriander. The flavours they lend is heavenly.

Thus I used an equal quantity of water, 1 cup water for 1 cup Mix (millet plus lentil).

Now, when you have all these ready with you then all are put in the pressure cooker and cooked for just 1 whistle. Let the pressure settle down on its own and then when you open the pressure cooker, it just needs 2 minutes more. Temper it with curry leaves and mustard seeds, add tamarind water and lots of green coriander. Oh! one second, I forgot a very important ingredient. Any guesses? Its ghee or say clarified butter. Top it up with ghee and you are good to go.

 

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• More nutritious as it is made with millets.
• One-Pot meal.
• Easy and simple method.
• A good way to include veggies in your diet, especially of kids.

 

Serving Suggestions

It is a complete meal in itself but still you can serve it with Papad,  Salad, Chutney and Raita. It is served hot, as soon as it is cooked because if kept then it becomes thick and loses its texture and taste as well.

Having gathered all this information now let us look at the step by step recipe.

Related Recipes

• A Glimpse Into millets
• Barnyard Millet Pulao
• Vegetable Vermicelli In PressureCooker

 

 Step By Step Recipe

• Soak Brown Top millet for 8 hours and Tur dal for at least half an hour.

• Chop veggies. I used carrots, beans, peas and tomatoes. Grate ginger or chop it finely.

Tip: Do not chop veggies too fine or small in size else they will get all mashed up as in Pav Bhaji and we do not want that.

• Soak tamarind.
• Make Sambhar Masala. If you have handy then skip this point.
• In a pressure cooker, put 1 tablespoon ghee. Add Splutter mustard seeds and asafoetida.
• Saute grated ginger. Add chopped veggies. Saute all this for 30 seconds or so.
• Mix in turmeric powder and Sambhar Masala Powder.

• Add soaked and rinsed millets and tuar dal.

• Add salt and water. Drop-in 1 or 2 whole green chillies as it renders a lovely flavour. Since its whole, it won't make it spicy.

• Pressure cook for one whistle on medium-high flame. After the whistle, switch off the flame and let the pressure settle down on its own. When you open the pressure cooker it looks like as shown in the pic below.

 

• Make the tempering.  For this take, one tablespoon ghee in a pan, when heated sufficiently, splutter curry leaves and mustard seeds.
• Take out the pulp from the soaked tamarind.
• Once the pressure settles, flip the Cooked mixture. Add the tempering and tamarind pulp. Mix lightly.

 

• Add lots of green coriander. Top up with ghee.
• Serve with love. Mint Raita and Papad optional.

FAQs

Q) What is the meaning Of The Word 'Millet' In A Recipe

If you are new to millets then you must have read many recipes mentioning Millet Bisi Bele Bhath or Millet so and so,  where just millet word is given. Now, which millet? After all, there are so many types of millets available so which one to use in that recipe. Don't you get confused? At least I was when I started cooking with millets. Now after trying out so many recipes I have understood that most of the millets, though each varies in nutrition, but not only they look-alike but are similar to use also. So, you can use any millet whichever is handy, unless the recipe emphasizes on using that particular millet only. Just take care that the form is the same, meaning that if millet rice is used than use only the rice form of millet and not the whole or semolina form. Like in this recipe, I have used Browntop millet, but you can use Barnyard or Little or Kodo or any other.

Q) I do not have Brown Top millet. Then?

Use any other millet like barnyard or foxtail or Kodo or any other. And you can use rice also, as is used in the original recipe.

Q) What is Siridhanya?

Siridhanya means positive millets that have balanced nutritional profile. These are Browntop, Barnyard, Foxtail, Kodo and Little Millet.

 

Let's Connect!

I hope you have liked this easy recipe of Millet Bisi Bele Bath and will surely try it out for your loved ones.

 

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