South Indian Rice with Lentils (Bisi Bele Bhath)

April 28, 2011 by Leanne Vogel February 27, 2017

One pot meal of spicy south Indian rice with lentils and homemade coconut masala.

Ingredients

Coconut Masala

• ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1-3 red chili’s (optional) – see note
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 2-inch stick of cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves or 8 whole cloves
• 8 white peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon turmeric

Main Event

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
• 6 curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 cup diced red onion onion
• 1¼ teaspoon Himalayan rock salt
• ¼ cup diced french beans
• ½ cup diced carrots
• ½ cup diced potatoes
• ¼ cup diced red bell pepper
• ½ cup cubed eggplant
• 1 cup brown basmati rice, soaked for 2 hours, drained and rinsed well
• ½ cup moong dal, soaked for 2 hours, drained and rinsed well
• 6 cup water
• 1-2 tablespoon date syrup if chilis were used in the masala
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Melt coconut oil in a large cast iron pan on medium-high heat. Add curry leaves, mustard seeds, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and cumin seed. Cook until cumin seeds are brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add onion and salt, stir to combine and continue to cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add beans, carrots, potatoes, red pepper and eggplant to the mix and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Transfer vegetable mixture into a large saucepan. Add rice, lentils and water. Cover and bring to a boil on high heat.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until rice is tender.
5. Meanwhile, place all masala ingredients in a small cast iron pan. Cook on medium high heat until coconut has browned, about 3 minutes. Grind in a coffee grinder or small processor and set aside.
6. Add homemade coconut masala and date syrup if chili’s were used in the masala. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat, stir in fresh cilantro and serve.

Notes

I don’t handle my spice well, so I made the first batch with no chili at all. It was good, but lacked the kick! For the second batch, I tried it with 1 chili and it was perfect. Feel free to go up to using 3 chili’s if you’re the adventurous type. I’m pretty sure I’d burn my face off if I tried it.

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!

Nutrition Information Per Serving