Although I realise the actual version requires coconut and freshly ground and powdered spices, etc, that’s not a very weeknight-friendly recipe. I have tried that a couple of times but the sheer time it takes to peel the shallots itself is a turn-off.
Anyway, here’s how I make mine, the easy, quick version of Sambar Sadam made in a pressure cooker.
Bisi Bele Bath / Sambar Sadam Recipe
Serves 2-3
Preparation time – 15 mins
Special utensil needed – pressure cookerWhat I Use:
Rice – 1.5 cups
I use ponni or basmati but the regular rice you use every day will work just fine.
Toor / tuvar / kandi pappu / pigeon peas – 3/4 to 1 cup
Tamarind – a marble-sized ball or 2 tbsp tamarind paste
Chopped vegetables – 1.5 cups
You can use any vegetables you have in hand like French beans, carrots, potatoes, peas, tomatoes, drumstick, capsicum, etc.
Shallots – 6 (optional)
Green chillies – 2
Sambar powder – 1.5 to 2 tbsp
Hing / Asafoetida / Perungayam – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – a pinchFor tempering:
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Shallots – 2, sliced thin (optional)How to make Sambar Sadam in a Pressure Cooker:
1. Add 1 cup warm water to the tamarind and extract juice. Discard pulp. If using tamarind paste, dissolve it in 1 cup water without any lumps.
2. Heat oil for tempering in the pressure cooker pan and add the rest of the ingredients. Fry the shallots for tempering, if using, until golden brown. Then add the hing, green chillies, turmeric and sambar powder and mix well for 10 seconds.
3. Add all the ingredients and sufficient water. To cook the rice I use every day, the ratio of rice:water is 1:2. Since I have used 1.5 cups rice here, I need 3 cups water in total. Tamarind juice is in 1 cup water so I added approximately 2 more cups of water to the cooker. Its fine if its slightly more than that.
4. Cook for 3 whistles. If you like your sambar sadam a bit mushy, then cook for 4 whistles and make sure you add slightly more water than specified above.
5. Wait till pressure leaves and serve hot with vadaam / chips / appalam and raita / curd.
nice.. thank you… 🙂
This is a crappy Bisibele Bath recipe.. Clearly the author has no clue what Bisibelebath shoudl taste like.. she can as well mix sambar and rasam and fool every body stating it as Bisibelebath recipe.. recipe here such a Shame for a mouth watering soul food.
Cheap Darshini's in Karnataka will provide better recipes than using Rasam powder 😀
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Shilpa
i never claimed this to be original. it's just a quick version of a recipe that's otherwise time-consuming, in my opinion. feel free to head to darshini's if that's what you prefer.
thanks for letting me know ramya. glad you liked the easy bisi bele bath recipe 🙂
Hi Nags, I tried this today and it was simple and yummy. The best part is that my daughter who is a fussy eater loved this one…thanks for the recipe..
Hello Salt Madam is missing in your page.
I was searching for bisi bele bath recipe.. and i was getting such long recipes.. i almost quit the idea of making it.. then i searched 'easy bisi bele bath' … i got ur recipe and was more than convinced… thanks for such a quick recipe.. wonderful.. i am going to cook now and will come back and tell u how it was..
Hi Nags,
I make BBB very often in my house since it has many advantages. First it is one-cooker meal , wholesome and liked by kids.i am not left over with half a ladleful of sambar, or 1 cup of rice at the end of the day. Also fuel-savvy. I finally temper the bath with 2 spoons of ghee + 1 spoonful of coconut oil, heat and add peanuts and /or cashews and fry a small bunch of curry leaves for that extra colour and crunchiness. YUMMMMMMMMM!!!!!