South Indian Rice with Lentils (Bisi Bele Bhath)

May 3, 2012 By Leanne Vogel July 6, 2017

One-pot meals are the bee’s knees, wouldn’t you agree? The prep time is minimal, ingredients are simple, your kitchen doesn’t get all messy, and dinner is ready in under an hour. I like that. If that’s not enough, one-pot meals leave you with leftovers; and from the feedback you’ve left on the meal planning giveaway post, you love leftovers just as much as me! I’m glad we see eye to eye on leftovers… I think we’d make great real-life friends. Okay, so now that I’ve sold you on the whole one-pot meal idea, let’s get right to it. Today’s one-pot wonder comes all the way from India. Surprise, surprise! Indian cooking is heavily reliant on one-pot meals. The flavors are bold, the ingredients are simple, and the result is jaw-droppingly awesome. Yes, jaw-droppingly. The kitchens I visited in the South were very basic – many of them only had one or two pots and pans, a cutting knife, cast-iron grill for their breads, eating utensils, and metal trays. As a result, Indians have mastered the art of one-pot cooking. The meals I enjoyed during my time there were hands down some of the best I’ve ever had in my life. They had less than 10 ingredients, were made with love, and many of them were created using just one-pot! In today’s one-dish wonder, we’re whipping up a batch of Indian rice and lentils, also known as bisi bele bhath. The direct translation of bisi bele bhath meals hot lentil rice. The name says it all, really. It’s naturally gluten-free, vegan, inexpensive, and delicious. The traditional preparation of this dish involves the use of spicy masala, toor dal (a type of lentil that I wasn’t able to find at the grocery store) and vegetables. Spices like nutmeg, curry leaves and tamarind pulp (another ingredient that’s hard to find so I replaced it with date syrup) contribute to the unique flavor and taste of this dish. It is served hot and sometimes eaten alongside salad, papad or potato chips. For a healthier potato chip option, try pan-frying cubed potato in some coconut oil for about 15 minutes and dropping over top of your individual portion. So good. Instead of using store-bought masala, I opted to make my own and was happily pleased with just how easy it was. I also threw in some dehydrated coconut for good measure, South India style.

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Soaking the rice and lentils made a huge impact on the digestibility of this dish. I couldn’t believe how easy it was on my tummy. Major win in my books! Feel free to mix and match your veggies for this recipe. I’ve added zucchini, celery, green peppers, fennel, Chinese eggplant, cabbage, cauliflower to the mix and all of it was downright delicious. Sauteing the garlic and ginger with the several spices is my favorite part about making most Indian meals. The spices are so fragrant! Once all of your veggies are coated in the turmeric mix, throw everything in a pot and let it cook away for 30 minutes. While your dinner is busy simmering, you can get started on the masala. I was intimidated to try making masala from scratch but it turned out to  be really easy! You want to brown the spices to release as much as the flavor as possible. The cumin seeds will begin to bounce on the bottom of the pan, and the coconut will turn brown and release just the perfect amount of oil to prevent everything from burning. After 30 minutes of simmering, remove the lid and check on the texture of the rice. It should be soft and perfect! Add your homemade masala, stir, and return to the stove for 5 minutes. The longer you heat the masala, the spicier the dish will be. Add some cilantro, and you’re set. If you’re lucky like me and your boyfriend is now tired of eating Indian food, you’ve successfully prepared 6 whole meals for yourself. Hurrah for leftovers! Do you have a favorite one-pot meal?  

This entry was tagged: Casseroles, eggplant, flavors of india, lentil, masala, rice