Avalakki Bissi Bele Bhaath..A Quick Fix With Beaten Rice

Hi!

I'm kick starting contributions to my event 'Only' South Indian, hosted here at Foodelicious, with a very tasty preparation from the state of Karnataka, which is S's native state. I have reiterated several times that my MIL is an excellent cook and is my guide and tutor to Karnataka style cooking or in more romantic word's she has guided me clearly on the correct path to my husband's heart who is fond of good food and especially his Mom's food.

Bissi Bele Bhaath is an all time favourite at my place and my husband call's it 'concrete food' as it sits in the stomach and makes you feel heavy and drowsy. I normally make it on weekend for lunch so that after eating  we can have a sound sleep. Avalakki Bissi Bele Bhaath or Bissi Bele Huli Avalakki, is a simpler and easily digestible version of Bissi Bele Bhaath and it translates to Hot Dal/Sāmbhar With Beaten Rice. This preparation makes use of beaten Rice (Poha) and Yellow Moong dal, both of which are easy to digest and quick to cook. My MIL had made this preparation for all of us during one of our  recent visits and every one had relished it. I asked her that time, how she had made it, but forgot to pen it down.

Last month, I suddenly remembered this preparation and wanted to try it, so I called my MIL but she was unavailable. Then I called up my elder co-sister R and asked her if she knew how to make it, and I was disappointed with her 'No'. I was almost ready to give up and half heartedly called  up my younger co-sister P, she brought an instant smile on my face by saying a 'Yes' and gave me the recipe. I tried the recipe that day itself and it was a huge hit in the family, so I decided to make a more healthier version and tweaked the recipe a little and to my delight it was liked even more by the two of them. The kid happily took it in his lunch box and finished it too. Tomorrow is P's birthday, so I thought it's an apt time to post this recipe.  Can't thank you enough dear 'P'  for this excellent recipe.

It’s a one pot meal and can be made very quickly.

Avalakki Bissi Bele Bhaath Preparation Time:20mins Cooking Time:20-25mins Soaking time:15mins Serves:4 Ingredients 4 hands full beaten rice/ Poha, thick variety ( I used the red version to make it more healthy) 3/4-1 measuring cup roasted Yellow Moong Dal 1small carrot cubed 1/2cup peas 1medium potato cubed 6-7 French beans cut into 1cm pieces 5-6tbsp Sāmbhar Masala 1/2tsp red chilli pwd 1/2tsp turmeric pwd 2tsp coriander pwd 3/4-1tsp cinnamon pwd about 6-7 cups water coriander stems chopped about 1-1/2tbsp tamarind paste salt to taste For tempering 2-3tbsp oil 1tsp mustard seeds 2-3 dry red chillies 2sprigs curry leaves 1/2chopped onion small hand full of peanuts 1/4tsp good quality asafoetida (heeng) Method Wash the poha 4-5 times in water and keep it aside for 15mins to soak properly. The red poha absorbs a lot of water and needs more time for soaking than the regular white poha. Dry roast the lentils till a nice aroma is smelt. Add 3cups water to the lentils and bring it to a boil. Simmer and cook till half done. Add all the vegetables and coriander stems now. Cook covered till the vegetables are done and the lentils cooked. Add 3more cups of water and add Sāmbhar masala, red chilli-turmeric-coriander-cinnamon powders. Add the soaked Poha and salt to taste. The red poha needs more spices than the regular poha, so adjust your spices accordingly. Mix properly and cook covered for 10 more minutes. If you feel that the consistency of the bhaath is too thick, add more water. Pour the tempering and mix. Serve hot with curds or raita and some potato wafers to go along. For Tempering Heat oil and add the mustard, once it splutters add the peanuts and red chillies, fry. Now add the onions and sauté. Tip in the heeng and curry leaves and pour it over the bhath.

Sending this to Rasi's I'm Star Event 




Note-
One can add their choice of vegetables to this bhaath.
Cinnamon and heeng are a must as they add a good flavour to the preparation.
One can completely replace all vegetables and use only one vegetable in more quantity and make this preparation.
Adding onions is optional.
The quantity of water provided here can vary based on the quality of beaten rice used. So be observant and follow your instincts while adding water.