Instant Pot Bisibelebath Recipe

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to make Bisibelebath, then this Instant Pot method is one of the best ways to make this classic South Indian dish. 

Essentially, the dish is a medley of South Indian-style rich and split pigeon peas. In this nourishing and wholesome meal, you’ll find tangy tamarind, vegetables, and fragrant ground spices. 

It can be eaten for breakfast or lunch, and it originates in Karnataka – a Kannada-speaking state located in India. 

The name ‘bisibelebath’ is the Kannada name for the meal and translates to hot dal and rice. The authentic version is composed of short-grained rice, tamarind, Toor dal, and an aromatic spice powder featuring cloves, seeds, and cinnamon among many more. 

If you’re wondering whether this dish is similar to Sambar sadam, then the answer would be no. Sambar Sadam is a Tamil-style dish that utilizes Sambar powder. 

Despite containing similar ingredients, the little things that make up these dishes are very unique and completely different from one another. 

With this in mind, if you’re looking for a one-pot dish that is both wholesome and well-balanced, then you need to try this recipe.

This guide will cover everything you need to know about making Instant Pot Bisibelebath. 

Let’s get started. 

Ingredients For Bisibelebath

For the Bisibelebath Powder

• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 4 dried red chilies
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (to be ground)
• 2 cloves (to be ground)
• 1 teaspoon chana dal (Bengal gram, dry-roasted)
• 1 teaspoon urad dal (dry-roasted)
• 1 ½ tablespoon coriander seeds (to be ground)
• 2 pinches fenugreek seeds (to be ground)
• 1 tablespoon dried coconut or poppy seeds (ground after roasting)
• 1 small marati moggu (to be ground)

For the Bisibelebath

• ½ cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• ¾ cup rice
• 3 tablespoons tamarind pulp
• 1 ½ teaspoon jaggery (or coconut sugar as a substitute)
• 1 teaspoon vegan butter or neutral oil (instead of ghee)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup green peas
• ½ cup diced carrots
• 8 shallots (or 1 medium onion)
• 5 French beans (or ¼ cup avarekalu/lima beans)
• ¼ cup cubed capsicum (optional)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1–2 tablespoons neutral oil (for tempering, instead of ghee)
• 1 pinch hing (vegan hing/asafoetida)
• 10 cashews, broken
• 1 red chili, broken (deseeded)
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

Instructions For Making Bisilbelebath

For the Bisibelebath powder 

If you’re using store-bought bisibelebath powder, skip this section. Otherwise:

• Dry roast the chana dal, urad dal, and dried red chilies over low heat until golden.
• Add cloves, coriander seeds, marati moggu, and cinnamon. Roast until aromatic and transfer to a plate.
• Toast fenugreek seeds briefly, then add the dried coconut or poppy seeds. Roast until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
• Allow everything to cool, then grind into a fine powder. Set aside.

Preparation

1. Rinse the rice thoroughly in a bowl and soak it with 1 ¾ cups of water. Similarly, rinse the dal and soak it with 1 cup of water.
2. Cook the rice and dal together in a pressure cooker or using the pot-in-pot method for 3–4 whistles until soft.
3. While the rice and dal are cooking, soak the tamarind in ½ cup of hot water. Squeeze and filter to extract tamarind pulp, reserving 2–3 tablespoons for later.
4. To the remaining tamarind water, add jaggery, the prepared bisibelebath powder, and salt. Mix well until smooth and set aside.
5. Mash the cooked dal until smooth, then combine with the rice. Mash the rice as well if you prefer a softer texture.

Making the Bisibelebath

1. Heat one teaspoon of neutral oil in a large pan. Add the diced vegetables (carrots, peas, beans, capsicum, etc.) and sauté over medium heat for 3–4 minutes.
2. Add 1 cup of water to the pan and cook the vegetables until tender but still slightly crunchy.
3. Pour in the tamarind mixture and stir to combine. Allow it to boil for 3–4 minutes.
4. Add the mashed rice and dal mixture, stirring well. Add ¾–1 ½ cups of water, depending on your desired consistency.
5. Simmer over medium heat for 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust with more jaggery, tamarind water, or salt if needed. Remove from heat slightly before it thickens completely, as it will thicken further as it cools.

Tempering

1. Heat 1–2 tablespoons of neutral oil in a small pan. Add cashews and fry until golden.
2. Add broken red chili and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds begin popping, toss in curry leaves and vegan hing.
3. Stir until the curry leaves are crisp, then pour this tempering over the prepared bisibelebath.

Serving

1. Garnish the bisibelebath with a drizzle of vegan butter or oil for added richness.
2. Serve hot, paired with crispy papad or vegan yogurt on the side.

Instant Pot Bisibelebath Method

1. Soak the tamarind in ½ cup of hot water. Extract the pulp and set aside.
2. On the Instant Pot, press the Sauté button and pour 1–2 tablespoons of neutral oil (or vegan butter) into the inner pot.
3. Fry the cashews until golden brown, then remove and set aside.
4. To the pot, add curry leaves, mustard seeds, vegan hing, and broken red chilies. Stir until the mustard seeds begin popping.
5. Add the onions (or shallots) and sauté for 2 minutes, until softened.
6. Toss in the diced vegetables and sauté for an additional minute to coat them in the spices.
7. Add salt, prepared bisibelebath powder, jaggery (or coconut sugar), and tamarind water. Mix well to ensure there are no lumps. For smoother results, you can combine the tamarind water and jaggery before adding.
8. Pour in 7 cups of water and stir thoroughly. Then, add the soaked rice and toor dal. Stir once more and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze.
9. Press Cancel, secure the Instant Pot lid, and position the steam release handle to “Sealing.”
10. Press the Pressure Cook button and set the timer for 9 minutes on high pressure.
11. Once the timer ends, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure.
12. Open the lid and stir everything well. Adjust the taste by adding more jaggery, tamarind water, or salt as needed.

Bisibelebath Variations

Instead of regular rice, you can opt for quinoa, millet, or brown rice for this recipe. 

Below, we have noted everything you need to know about this dish, from cooking time, mode, and proportions: 

Instant Pot Bisibelebath with Quinoa

The best type of quinoa to use here is white quinoa. For each ¾ cup of quinoa, you will need around 6 tablespoons of toor dal. 

Here, you will combine both ingredients and wash them thoroughly together. Then, soak them for 30 minutes in 3 cups of warm water. 

In an Instant Pot, you will need 4 cups of water to make the bisibelebath with quinoa. Then, cook the dish on a high-pressure mode for 9 minutes and then allow the pressure to naturally release. 

Instant Pot Bisibelebath with Millet

For this recipe, you can use Little Millet, Barnyard Millet, or Kodo Millet. Just remember, for each ¾ c of millet used, you need to add 10 tablespoons of Toor dal. 

Here, you need to wash and soak both ingredients together in 3 c of water for approximately 30 minutes. To make this bisibelebath with millet in the Instant Pot, you’ll need 4 c of water. 

Cook the ingredients at high pressure for 14 minutes with a natural pressure release. 

When it comes to regular pressure cooking, cook for 5 whistles and then wait for the stovetop to naturally release the pressure. 

Instant Pot Bisibelebath with Brown Rice

When it comes to brown rice, it tends to take slightly longer to cook and is generally chewier. Therefore, it requires a longer cooking time, too. 

For every ¾ cup of brown rice, you’ll need to add 8 tablespoons of Toor dal. Like before, combine the ingredients together and wash thoroughly. Then, add 4 cups of water and allow the mixture to soak for 45 minutes. 

To cook this variation, you’ll need 4 cups of water for ¾ cup of brown rice and 10 tablespoons of Toor dal. 

Here, pressure cook the dish at high pressure for 18 minutes and then allow it to release naturally. 

For regular pressure cooking, use a medium flame and cook it for 6 whistles. Again, allow the pressure to release naturally. 

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for an authentic South Indian dish, then you can’t go wrong with Bisibelebath. 

This recipe features all the authentic flavors, aromas, and textures made simpler using an Instant Pot.