Quinoa Bisi Bele Bath Recipe - Instant Pot

Quinoa Bisi Bele Bath/Bisibelebath is a healthy and delicious one-pot meal made with quinoa, lentils (dal), and mixed vegetables, prepared in an Instant Pot pressure cooker or on the stovetop. It pairs wonderfully with kara bhoondi, potato chips, or papad for an extra crunch.

Bisi bele bath is a very popular breakfast/lunch recipe from Karnataka (South India). In Kannada, Bisi means hot, bele means lentil, and bath means rice.

Quinoa is a super grain, rich in protein, gluten-free, and an excellent source of fiber. Due to its impressive health benefits, I've recently been incorporating it into daily meals, swapping rice for quinoa. A few such recipes include quinoa upma, quinoa khichdi, and quinoa fried rice.

Today, I am sharing how to make quinoa bisi bele bhath in both an Instant Pot and a stovetop pressure cooker. It is very similar to the traditional bisi bele bath but uses quinoa instead of rice. My family enjoys this one-pot dish, which is packed with vegetables, protein, and carbs—and it's ready in under 30 minutes!

The secret to making a good bisi bele bath is to make the masala powder fresh at home. These days, Bisi bele bath powder is readily available in stores. If you do not have the time and are running late, you may easily buy Bisi Bele Bhat Masala at your nearest Indian grocery store. I usually use MTR Bisibelebath Masala.

The authentic Bisi bele bath recipe is made without onion, garlic, and tomatoes. I have used onion in this recipe.

Is Quinoa better than Rice?

Both food's calories come primarily from their carbohydrate content, and a serving of brown rice or quinoa offers 39 or 44.8 grams of carbohydrates, respectively. However, quinoa provides more dietary fiber and protein than brown rice.

1 CUP COOKED	CALORIES	FAT (G)	CARBS (G)	FIBER (G)	PROTEIN (G)
Quinoa	222	4	39	5	8
Brown Rice	216	1.8	44.8	3.5	5

How to Make Quinoa Bisi Bele Bath in Instant Pot

Firstly, chop all the vegetables and onion. Keep aside.

Meanwhile, soak lemon-sized tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes. Extract pulp and keep aside.

Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode and add 2 tablespoons homemade ghee (or oil). Once the ghee/oil is hot, add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 stalk of curry leaves, and 1 pinch of asafoetida, and allow them to splutter.

Next, add 1 medium onion (thinly sliced), 1 tablespoon of ginger and garlic paste. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft and light brown – stir regularly.

Add 2.5 cups mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, and bell pepper) and cook for a minute.

Next, add 2-3 tablespoons bisi bele bath powder (I used MTR brand), 1 teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 tablespoons tamarind extract, 1 teaspoon jaggery (optional), and salt. Mix everything well, stirring continuously to prevent the mixture from burning.

Next, add ½ cup washed toor dal (lentils), 1 cup rinsed quinoa, 4 cups of water, and give a stir.

Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes.

Once the pot beeps, Do a NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE (NPR).

After that, remove the lid and garnish with 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander leaves. Mix everything well. I prefer my quinoa bisi bele bath to have a mushy and slightly liquid consistency.

So, turn on the SAUTE mode again and add 1 cup of water (adjust according to your preference). Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Quinoa Bisibelebath is now ready. You can add an extra tempering (tadka) if you like, but it's completely optional.

Serve quinoa bisi bele bath hot.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method

• Chop all the vegetables and onion. Keep aside. Meanwhile, soak tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes. Extract pulp and keep aside.
• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker pan, once hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafetida & let it splutter.
• Add onions and ginger-garlic paste, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft and light brown, stirring regularly. Then add mixed vegetables and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• Then add washed toor dal (lentils), quinoa, water, salt, and give a stir. Close the lid.
• Pressure cook for 3 whistles on medium-low flame. Once pressure has naturally released, add bisi bele bath powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, tamarind extract, jaggery, and adjust the consistency by adding extra water and boil for 5 minutes.
• For Tempering: Add ghee in a tadka pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing, and red chilies let it splutter. Add peanuts or cashews and fry until browned. Add the tadka to the quinoa bisi bele bath and mix well.

Variations and Substitutes

1. Vegetables: You can add other vegetables of your choice, like drumstick, brinjal (eggplant), sweet potato, pearl onions, pumpkin, and squash.
2. Tanginess: If tamarind is unavailable, you can replace it with one tomato or juice of 1 lemon.
3. Adjust Consistency: Add an extra ½ to 1 cup of water for a more khichdi-like consistency.
4. Vegan: Adding ghee for tempering gives the best flavor, If you are a vegan, substitute it with oil.
5. Other Grains: Substitute quinoa with millet, rice, broken wheat (dalia), and the pressure cooking time remains the same.
6. Brown Rice: Substitute quinoa with brown basmati rice and increase pressure cook time to 20-22 minutes.
7. Spice Powder: If you don’t have bisi bele bath 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 or on Amazon.
8. Lentils Ratio: You can also increase the quality of lentils (dal) from ½ to ¾ cups for 1 cup of quinoa to make it healthier.

More South Indian Recipes

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