Easy Instant Pot Bisi Bele Bath Recipe

If you're a fan of South Indian cuisine, then you've probably heard of bisi bele bath.

This delicious dish is prepared with rice, lentils, and an array of vegetables and spices that make it a hearty meal.

A plate of bisi bele bath is on the table and topped with nuts and boondi

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Traditionally, it takes quite a bit of time to prepare this dish on the stovetop, but with the magic of the Instant Pot, you can have bisi bele bath ready in a fraction of the time.

Instant pot bisi bele bath is perfect for busy families or those looking to save time in the kitchen because it is a one pot meal.

And now, with this vegan bisi bele bath recipe, you can satisfy your craving for this wholesome meal dish without any dairy products.

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Why I love this
Ingredients Notes
Instant pot method
Bisi bele bath masala powder recipe
Expert tips
Variation
Recipe FAQs
Related recipes
📖 Recipe
Comments

Why I love this

This recipe is unique to the state of Karnataka in India. It is a delicate combination of the right spices with the right amount of lentils.
This hot lentil rice is popularly known as Bisi bele bath in South India
It's packed with lots of flavor and protein from dal
It's a vegan, gluten-free, and a one-pot dish.
With the instant pot, the cooking time and cleanup time is a lot better compared to the traditional stovetop pressure cooker method.
Bisi bele bhath is best served hot with crunchy potato chips, onion raita or boondi.

Ingredients Notes

All the ingredients for bisi bele bath are placed on the counter including rice, dal, vegetables and oil

Toor Dal or Split pigeon peas - This is one of the main ingredients. It is one of the most common dal too, but if you cannot find it, you could also substitute it with masoor dal
Rice - Traditionally, Sona masoori is the best option for this recipe as it stays true to its form.
Peanuts - Begin with raw peanuts or cashews to be used at the end for garnishing. If you are allergic to peanuts please feel free to skip the peanuts.
Tamarind - This is one of the main ingredients to bring out the authentic taste. I used fresh tamarind. Just soak a small quantity (the size of a small lemon) in water and then use the tamarind water.
Jaggery - Jaggery is another indispensable ingredient and try not to substitute this. It gives a little sweet touch to the rice. If you are absolutely not able to find it, then add brown sugar.
Vegan ghee or coconut oil
Bisi bele bath powder: This time, I used store-bought MTR brand bisi bele bath powder. I will give you instructions below on how to prepare a homemade special spice blend for bisibelebhath powder.
Spice powder: added red chili powder and turmeric powder.

Instant pot method

An instant pot has bisibelebath spices on the saute mode.

Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Drizzle a few teaspoons of oil to the inner pot and as the oil heats up, add mustard seeds.

When it starts to sizzle, add peanuts(remove them and add them to the end if you prefer crunchy) and curry leaves. Saute for 1 minute.

Add the chopped onions, and saute until translucent.

An instant pot has mixed vegetables and spices.

Add all the vegetables one by one and mix well.

Add jaggery, tamarind extract, and salt. Stir well, and press cancel to avoid tamarind sticking to the bottom of the pan.

An instant pot has bisisbelebath spices and mixed vegetables.

Add Bisi bele bath powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, rinsed toor dal, rinsed, and drained rice.

An instant pot has all the bisibelebath ingredients.

Add 6 ¼ cups of water and give a nice stir.

Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes with the pressure valve in the sealing position.

At the end of the timer, let the pressure release naturally before opening the pot.

An instant pot is full of bisi bele bath.

Garnish with cilantro and add roasted cashews and peanuts. Or prepare extra tempering in a separate pan and drizzle over the bisi bele bath.

Serve hot with raita, potato chips, or kara boondi. Enjoy!

Bisi bele bath masala powder recipe

Place a pan over medium heat and sauté the following one after another with a teaspoon of coconut oil: Coriander seeds, Black gram, Bengal gram, methi seeds, Cloves, Cinnamon, Red Chilies, cardamom, sesame seeds, cumin seeds.

Blend all the spices into a powder. Set it aside for later use.

Expert tips

Add extra water if you prefer a flowy consistency. Some people like their bisi bele bath to be soupy.
Soak the rice and dal for at least 30 minutes before cooking for best results
If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can also make this dish in a regular pressure cooker or on the stovetop. Leave 4 whistles.
To make this dish spicier, add more red chili powder or green chilies according to your taste preferences.
As it cools, this dish will thicken a little. You can add a little hot water, and re-heat it before serving if you do not prefer it thick.
If you are using store-bought powder, add 3 tablespoon to the dish. Make a taste test and add more if required.

Variation

Use tamarind paste or lemon juice if you don't have fresh tamarind available.
Bisi bele bath can also be made with other variations of lentils, such as masoor dal or chana dal. Feel free to experiment and find your favorite combination!
If bisi bele bath powder is not available add sambar powder for a similar flavor.
Add your favorite vegetables to customize the dish to your liking.