BISIBELA BATH IN VERAGU ARISI (KODO MILLET)

Bisibela bath is a prominent karnataka recipe which is like a sambhar rice but with lots of flavour and aroma.  This should be take really piping hot else you will not relish it.  I wanted to try this out in veragu arisi which is very rich in fibre in comparison with rice.  It came out so well and yummy…  I served it with sweet potato fry, papad and poosanikai thayir pachchadi.

INGREDIENTS
Veragu Arisi	1/2 cup
Tuvar Dal	1/2 cup
Tamarind	1 small lime size ball
Ash Gourd (Chopped)	250 g
Beans (Chopped)	1/2 cup
Peas	1/4 cup
Carrot (Chopped)	1/2 cup
Bisibela Bath Powder	5 tbsp
Fresh Coconut (Scrapped)	1 half of whole coconut
Oil	2-3 tbsp
Ghee	1 tbsp
Mustard	1 tsp
Whole Red Chilli	2
Cashew	1 tbsp
Salt	To taste

 

METHOD

• Pressure cook together veragu arisi and tuvar dal in 3 cups of water.
• Steam all the chopped vegetable till soft and well cooked.
• Soak tamarind in about 2 1/2 cup of hot water and squeeze out all the pulp.  You will need almost 2 1/2 cups of tamarind water.
• Now, in a large kadai or pressure cooker, pour in tamarind water and boil it along with all the cooked vegetable and salt.  Let it boil for about 5 minutes or till the raw smell of the tamarind is gone. 
• In the meanwhile, grind together bisibela bath powder along with freshly scrapped coconut and water as required to a smooth paste.
• Now, add cooked grain & dal, ground paste and 2-3 tbsp of oil to the boing tamarind water.  Mix well till everything blend together.
• The dish has to be little watery, hence add water as required (little at the time) and keep stirring every now and then.  It has to boil for about 8 – 10 minutes to blend well.
• Finally, for seasoning, heat 1 tbsp of ghee, roast cashews.  When it turns golden take it out and in the same ghee crackle mustard seeds and whole red chilli.  Pour it over the prepared bisibela bath.
• Garnish it with roasted cashews.
• Serve piping hot with papad, pachchadi or any poriyal of your choice.