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bisi bele bath served in a white bowl topped with tempering and raita on side along with some boondi
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4.87 from 30 votes

Instant Pot Bisi Bele Bath

This one-pot Bisibelebath (Bisi Bele Bath) is a very popular recipe from Karnataka prepared in the Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, South Indian
Keyword bisibelebhath, easy, hot lentil rice, instant pot, pressure cooker recipes, under 30 minutes, vegan
Diet Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Method Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 312kcal
Author Bhavana Patil

Equipment

Ingredients

For Additional Tempering (Optional)

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.
    step to saute onion and curry leaves collage
  • 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.
    step add vegetables and spices collage
  • Keep stirring; else the mixture may get burnt.
  • Add rinsed toor dal (lentils), rice, jaggery, and water give a stir.
    step to add lentils rice and water to pressure cook collage
  • 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.
    step to garnish bisi bele bath with cilantro collage
  • Bisibelebath is ready. Prepare additional tempering but it's completely optional.
    tempering in a pan
  • Serve with Kara bhoondi, potato chips or papad.
    instant pot bisibelebath served in a bowl with boondi and raita on the side

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.
 
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 650mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3800IU | Vitamin C: 91.6mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2.9mg