This Bisi bele bath is a wholesome, nutrition-packed one-pot dish made with rice, lentils, and mixed vegetables, prepared in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. It is a very popular dish from Karnataka. In Kannada, 'bisi' translates to hot, 'bele' means lentil, and 'bath' refers to rice. It pairs well with kara bhoondi or raita.
Growing up in Karnataka, bisi bele bath was a staple dish in our home. My mom used to make it regularly. It's also commonly served for breakfast and lunch in restaurants.
The authentic recipe for bisi bele bath is made without onions, garlic, or tomatoes. In this version, I've included onions, but you can also use sambar onions (shallots) as an alternative. For a healthier variation, check out my quinoa bisi bele bath recipe, which uses quinoa instead of rice.
The secret to making a bisi bele bath lies in preparing fresh masala powder at home. While bisi bele bath powder is readily available in stores these days, you can conveniently use pre-made bisi bele bath masala if you're short on time. I usually use MTR Bisi bele bath Masala for convenience. Below, I have also shared a recipe for making homemade bisi bele bath powder.
Today, I am sharing how to make a one-pot bisibelebath recipe in an electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT.
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Ingredients
- Sona masuri rice: Traditionally, medium-grain sona maoori is used. If you don't have, use can also use basmati rice.
- Dal: Toor dal (split pigeon peas) is used to make the dish.
- Mixed vegetables: onion, carrot, beans, green peas, potato, and bell peppers are used. Peanuts are optional, I like to add them for extra protein.
- Bisi bele bath powder: use homemade or store-bought powder. I personally like MTR or GRB Bisi bele bath powder brand.
- Tamarind extract: you can make it at home or use a store-bought one. Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes and extract the pulp.
- Spices: turmeric, red chili powder.
- Oil (or ghee): You can use any cooking oil. For best results, use homemade ghee.
- Tempering: Mustard seeds, jeera seeds (cumin), curry leaves, and asafetida (hing) are used.
How to Make Bisi Bele Bath in Instant Pot
Firstly, chop all the vegetables and onion. Keep aside.
Then, soak 1 small lemon-sized tamarind in ¼ to ⅓ cup of warm water for 15 minutes. Then, extract the pulp and set it aside.
Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add 2-3 tablespoons oil (or ghee), and once it's hot, add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 stalk curry leaves, and 1 pinch of asafoetida. Let it splutter.
Add 1 medium finely chopped onion (or shallots) and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, until they turn soft and light brown.
Next, add 2.5 cups mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, potato, and bell pepper) and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Then, add 3 tablespoons bisi bele bath powder (I used MTR brand), 1 teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 tablespoons tamarind extract, and salt. Keep stirring continuously to prevent the mixture from burning.
Add ¾ cup of rinsed toor dal (lentils), 1 cup rinsed sona masoori rice, jaggery, and 6 cups of water, then give it a good stir.
Close the lid on the pot and turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position.
Set the pot to 'MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK' (High Pressure) and the timer to 8 minutes.
Do a NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE (NPR) (Wait until the silver button on the lid drops). Remove the lid away from you, and garnish with 2 tablespoons coriander leaves.
Mix well. I prefer my bisi bele bath to have a mushy texture and a liquid consistency.
Turn on the SAUTE mode again, and add ½ to 1 cup of water, depending on your desired consistency. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes.
Pressure cooker bisi bele bath is ready.
Prepare an additional tempering for extra flavor, but it's completely optional.
Serve Bisi bele bhath with kara bhoondi, potato chips, or papad.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Bisi bele bath with kara bhoondi, papad, or potato chips. For festivals or gatherings, it pairs wonderfully with plain curd, onion tomato raita, and hesarubele carrot kosambari (salad).
Storage Suggestions
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an air-tight container.
Variations & Substitutions
- You can use vegetables of your choice, like pearl onions, pumpkin, and squash.
- If tamarind is unavailable, you can replace it with 1 tomato or juice of 1 lemon/lime.
- If you don’t have bisibelebath powder you can replace it with 2 tablespoons of sambhar powder and 1 tablespoon of vangibath powder. These powders are easily available in Indian grocery stores.
- Instead of using oil for tempering, you can use ghee, which vegans can avoid.
- You can also substitute white rice with quinoa or millet, using the same pressure cooking time.
- Substitute white rice with brown rice, and increase the pressure cook time to 20-22 minutes.
- Add an extra ½ to 1 cup of water for a more khichdi like consistency.
More Instant Pot Indian Rice Recipes
Instant Pot Bisi Bele Bath
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup sona masuri rice
- ¾ cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2.5 cups mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, potato and bell pepper)
- 2 tablespoons tamarind extract (tamarind water extracted from soaking small lemon size tamarind)
- 6 cups water
- 3 tablespoons bisi bele bath powder (I used MTR brand)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi) optional
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 2-3 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon jeera seeds (cumin)
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- a pinch asafetida(hing)
- salt adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro)
For Additional Tempering (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon ghee (or oil)
- ½ teaspoon musturd seeds
- few cashewnuts
- 2-3 red dried chilies
- few curry leaves
- a pinch asafoetida (hing)
Instructions
- Firstly, chop all the vegetables and onion. Keep aside.
- Then, soak tamarind in warm water. Extract pulp and keep aside.
- Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil, and once it's hot, add mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, asafoetida let it splutter.
- Add onions or shallots. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft and light brown - stir regularly.
- Next, add mixed vegetables and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Then add bisi bele bath powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, tamarind extract, salt.
- Keep stirring; else the mixture may get burnt.
- Add rinsed toor dal (lentils), rice, jaggery, and water give a stir.
- Close the lid on the pot and turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position.Set the pot to 'MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK' (High Pressure) and timer to 8 minutes.
- Do a NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE (NPR) (Wait until the silver button on the lid drops).
- Remove lid away from you, garnish with Cilantro.
- Mix well. I like my bisi bele bhath to be mushy and liquid consistency.
- Turn on the SAUTE mode again, add ½ - 1 cup of water (depending on your preference). Boil for 2-3 minutes.
- Bisibelebath is ready. Prepare additional tempering but it's completely optional.
- Serve with Kara bhoondi, potato chips or papad.
Video
Notes
Variations & Substitutions
-
- You can use vegetables of your choice like pearl onions, pumpkin, and squash.
- If tamarind is not available you can replace it with 1 tomato or juice of 1 lemon/lime.
- Add an extra ½ to 1 cup of water for a more khichdi like consistency.
- If you don’t have bisibelebath powder you can replace it with 2 tablespoons of sambhar powder and 1 tablespoon of vangibath powder. These powders are easily available in Indian grocery stores.
- Instead of using oil for tempering, you can use ghee, which vegans can avoid.
- You can also substitute white rice with quinoa or millets with the same pressure cooking time.
- Substitute white rice with brown rice, increase pressure cook time to 20-22 minutes.
Nutrition
You can find Bisibelebath Powder in any Indian grocery store. If you cannot find it, you can easily make it at home. Here is the recipe.
Bisi Bele Bath Powder
Bisibelebath Powder Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons chana dal
- 2 teaspoons urad dal
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon jeera seeds (cumin)
- ¼ teaspoon methi (fenugreek) seeds
- 5-6 kashmiri dry chillies for color
- 3-4 badagi dry chillies for spiceness
- 1.5 inch cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1 small marathi moggu (kapok buds) optional
- a big pinch hing (asafetida) optional
- few curry leaves
- 1-2 tablespoons desiccated coconut optional
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
Instructions
- Dry Roast all the ingredients except dessicated coconut on low flame till spices are aromatic.
- Turn off the flame and add the coconut.
- Blend the mixture to a fine powder. Store it in a air tight container.
Notes
- If you are making large quantity then dry roast each spice individually and then blend together for best results.
- If you dont get Bydagi Red chilli replace with regular red chillies.
- For longer shelf life skip the addition of dry coconut to the bisi bele bath powder.
Nutrition
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Deepthi Naik
Followed the recipe to the T - excellent results . Being a diehard BBB fan and raised in Bangalore, this hit the spot !!
Bhavana Patil
Hi Deepthi I am so glad you liked the recipe.. Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Shoba
Simply excellent and exact recipe. Turned out perfect, thank you!
Raksha
Followed the instructions exactly and it turned out perfect (using MTR powder method). I had to substitute raw rice for sona masoori rice since i had run out. The same proportions still worked. This recipe is a keeper!! Thank you!!
Bhavana Patil
Hi Raksha, thank you for trying the recipe, i am so glad you liked it. Yeah, I used sona masoori in the recipe too.
Sunayana Shivashankar
Bisibelebath came out really really well! Both hubby and kids enjoyed it! I loved the way you had structured and explained this recipe; it included all measures and possible variations. I used MTR powder this time. I hope to try this recipe again with your recipe for the bisibelebath powder.
I had one question ; How much of jaggery would you advise for the serving size you listed?
bhavana
Thank you Sunayana, feedback like this makes me so excited to do more 🙂 You can add around 1-2 teaspoon based on your preference, but not more 🙂 Hope that helps
Anvesh
Really good recipe. Absolutely loved it.
bhavana
Thank you Anvesh ? So glad you loved it ? Definitely try out other recipes on my blog & share your feedback ?
SANKAR
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? SUPER ???
bhavana
Thank you shankar,glad you liked it.
Vidya
Excellent outcome! Loved it! Thanks for posting this
bhavana
Glad you liked the recipe and thanks for letting me know
Anonymous
Thank you. I am from Bangalore and love Bisibelabath
Usha
bhavana
Hey Usha,I am from bangalore too.I love the ease of making bisibelebath in the instant Pot.If i am making for a potluck,i make extra ghee tadka on the stove top and add it in the end.
Rhama Manohar
Hi! Made your recipe, and the bisibelebath came out very good. I have a 3qt. What is the maximum amount of bisibele can I make? Thanks!
bhavana
i use 6qt ,measurement i mentioned in blog usually fills 1/2 of my pot roughly about 3qt when i add more vegetables...