Bisibele Bath (Mysore style original recipe)

     It has been my longtime wish to make an original mysore style bisibele bath. Whenever I googled in thirst of finding out the original recipe, I landed in websites that mostly add all sort of vegetables and literally offer the recipe of a sambar sadham disguised in the name Bisibele Bath :P While I was wondering if there will be no difference at all between a sambar rice and bisibele bath, I happened to watch the Samayal Samayal show by Venkatesh Bhat where he showed how to prepare a proper mysore style Bisibele Bath :)
     Adapting the recipe from the show, I tried it out one day and clicked the pics for reference & added to this repository. It came out delicious !!! fulfilling my longtime wish of a good bisibele bath. 

Cook Time: 25 mins (for rice & dal) + 15 mins || Serves: 3 ||  Category: Lunch / Variety Rice

Ingredients:
1. Raw White Rice (Pacharisi) - 1 cup
2. Toor Dal - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
3. Ghee - 3 tbsp
4. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
5. Urad Dal - 2 tsp
6. Cinnamon - 2 pieces
7. Cloves - 5-6
8. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
9. Tamarind water - 3/4 cup
10. Jaggery - 2tsp
11. Hing - 2tsp
12. Bisibele bath powder/paste - 1 & 1/2 spoon
13. Salt - as required
14. Cashews - 8-10
15. Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp finely chopped

Method:
1. Wash rice & toor dal together and pressure cook them with 4&1/2 to 5 cups water for 5-6 whistles.

2. In a pan, add some ghee and fry the cashewnuts to golden brown colour, transfer to a bowl & keep aside.

3. In the same pan, add 2 spoons of ghee and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add urad dal and reduce the flame to low. Once the urad dal turns brown, add cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves and fry them for a min. Then increase the flame and add the tamarind water. Let it boil for 5 mins until the raw smell fades away.

4. Add jaggery if desired and boil the tamarind paste for 2-3 mins. Now add Bisibele bath powder / paste and mix well. Allow it to cook for 2-3 mins. 

5. Add water if required and boil for 2 mins. Now reduce the flame and add the cooked rice & dal mixture. Mix well without any lumps.
6. Add salt, fried cashew nuts & coriander leaves. Mix well & switch off the flame after a min. If required, can add some ghee and mix well before switching off the flame.

Suggestions:

• Add urad dal only after the mustard seeds have spluttered. Fry the urad dal to golden brown colour, in reduced flame only.
• Adding jaggery is optional. It adds flavour by enhancing the tanginess.
• Can use bisibele bath powder/paste, whichever is available.

Serve hot with onion raita, fryums or papad.