We have 2 entries from our blog for the summer express cooking event hosted by Shaheen . One from Latha (given below) and one from Viji.
Super Fast Bisi Bele Huli Anna by Latha Narasimhan
Today I was very busy preparing goodies for my daughter and son in law . I am visiting them this weekend to celebrate my daughters 25th birthday. So I thought I need to cook some quick lunch. This is what I prepared in just 12 minutes.
Ingredients
- Rice – 1 cup
- Toor dal 1 cup
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
- Onion – 1 medium sized
- Carrot – 1 medium sized
- Cabbage – a few leaves
- Beans – 5 nos
- Oil – 2 teaspoons
- Hing powder – 2 pinches
- Ghee – 1 tablespoon
- Tamarind Pulp- 1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste
For the paste
- Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon
- Channadal – 1 teaspoon
- Methi Seeds 1/4 teaspoon
- Hing – a small piece
- Cardamom – 1 no
- Clove – 1 no
- Red chilli – 1 no
- Star Anise – 1no
- Cinnamon – 1 stick
- Grated Coconut 2 table spoons
Clockwise from 12’o clock: Hing, Methi Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Cloves, Cinnamon, Star Anise, Cardamom, Channa Dal and Red Chillies in the middle (Note: These are not quantities, its just a picture to get an overview of spices)
Clockwise: Grated Coconut, Chopped Carrot, Beans, Cabbage and Onions in Tupperware Containers
For Serving
- Groundnuts – 1/2 a cup
- Papads – 3
Some Prerequisites
- Grated Coconut stored in the fridge
- Thick Tamarind Pulp stored in the fridge
- You must be fast with vegetable cutting
- And a small cooker aids in fast cooking of rice and dal is quite handy to speed up things
- An organized kitchen where all spices are handy
Method
- Put three cups of water to boil in a Hawkins Ventura.
- Wash the rice and dal, drain partially reserving about half a cup, and put in Hawkins Ventura along with turmeric powder directly. Note: I used a 3 litre venture which cooks amazingly fast.
- Fry all ingredients for paste except coconut in one teaspoon oil stirring continously till golden.
- Add coconut and fry for 1 more minute. Keep aside for cooling. Note: I stored this in the fridge for my weekly supplies and dint need to grate.
- Cut Vegetables and Micro on high for 4 minutes. Note: You might want to also do this the previous day. I cut very fast.
- Grind the fried ingredients to a fine paste adding a little water.
- Set aside Tamarind pulp from the fridge.
8th to 10 minute
- By now the rice and dal in the cooker will be ready, with all pressure released. (The benefits of a small cooker). Add vegetables, paste, tamarind pulp, ghee and salt into the cooker and cook for 2 minutes.
10th to 12th minute
- Fry 3 papads in the microwave.
- Roast groundnuts on high for 45 seconds in a microwave for serving
Serve hot. 🙂
Most of what we prepare and post on this blog is in fact quite quick. You might want to check this handy super fast dosa for a quick breakfast recipe. Cooking fast is not just preparation but also clever use of time.
But one thing is for sure, it took much more time to type this recipe than to cook!!!
Read the Round up of all Entries Here
The \'yum\' blog 
Wow, 12 minutes ! You must be able to chop vegetables like they show in comedy shows, in fast forward mode ! It takes me 12 minutes to just chop the vegetables that you have written about !
BBHA looks really good!
It does take more time to write down the recipe than to actually make it, right?
Wow u make Bisi bela bhath so quickly… u are a super fast cook.
Latha, First time here, Nice blog, I’m sure to learn some Iyengar recipes from u 🙂
The BBB looks great 🙂
themistressofspices.wordpress.com
Lakshmi, thank you for stopping by my blog. I am always happy to make new friends and meet fellow food bloggers. I have added you to my feeds so that I visit everytime you post.
Looking forward to exploring your blog.
Latha , this is super fast. This rice is my favorite. You have explained the whole process so well. I am book marking this one too. You can give this rice to JFI Rice Event too 🙂
Last night the net was really slow so your site just would not open.
I saw the tips on idli batter. Thanx Latha and thanx to Lakshmi too for clearing my doubts. I have bookmarked that post too. :D)))
wow i am real slow in cutting :)! thats a super fast bisibhelle bhath. i make the similar way.great entry for the event!
Thats real super fast. 12 mins !!!! Great entry.
You can pass it on to JFI Rice even too.
u are kidding with 12 minutes, right? its nice to see someone with a 25 yr old daughter instead of us newbies blogging. hope to learn superfast tricks from u. thanks.
mallugirl, amma’s Hawkins Ventura takes barely 4 minutes that amount of rice and dal – what we use to cook is very crucial to speed. Her friend makes sambar in barely 5 to 7 minutes using this very same cooker. 🙂
Also any tam bram meal will take just 20 to 30 minutes – with rice, sambar with rasam or kootu (or all if its my Patti!!) and one ‘kai’ (poriyal). Pickles and Curd are always present in any tam bram home.
I am sure you will find entries that are classic tam bram meals or have some kind of tamil cuisine component.
And if you see both my mom and dad chop vegetables, you’ll probably be left wide mouthed. After so many years of watching my dad cut, i am still amazed with his speed!!!
[…] on Theratti paal – celebrating 10…bharathy on Theratti paal – celebrating 10…lakshmi on Express Cooking: Bise Bele Hul…mallugirl on Express cooking (puri with kur…mallugirl on Express Cooking: Bise Bele Hul…SeeC on […]
Lathamma… I’ll not call you ‘akka’ from now on realising you’ve a daughter who’s only 7 yrs younger than me hee hee:) this is the same way appa makes bisi bele bath (minus the spices coz he doesn’t like the taste so only elakkai is added). whereas amma prefers cooking it directly on stove. anyway now she too has switched to cooker method:). i didn’t remember the proportions and your recipe came in handy today for a delicious dinner. just one doubt… i have started buying fresh coconut (alas we can’t buy small coconuts as my mom used to do… we can ask the mandi for 2.50 rs coconut or for festivals 7 rs ones… really huge) and i froze grated coconut. how long does it stay fresh in refrigerater?
Re: Bisi Bela.
Great recipe! Will try it asap for sure. Can the veggies be put to cook along with the rice and dhal in the cooker for people who don’t have a microwave? Also since i am new to microwave cooking, when keeping the veggies in the microwave, does water need to be added to facilitate cooking?
Neeraja
Hi,
I made bisi bele bath last nite.My husband simply loved it. I also added sambar podi to it. He liked it so much that he promised a trip to London. Thanx Yum Blog. A way to a mans heart is through his stomach I guess.
Thanx a ton.
I love this recipe
I am going to try this now
This is authentic Iyengar recipe site I thought. I am so disappointed to see onions being used even when not needed.