Moong -Bisi Bele Baat

 Bisi Bele Baath is normally a rice dish. Now a days people try using broken wheat, oats, flatten rice (Avalakki), and the healthy grains like Navane (Pearl millet) and little millet (Saame).

Bisi belebaath is a mixture of dals, vegetables and Rice. We can say this rice dish is loaded with lots of vegetables and it can be enjoyed during lunch hours or for dinner. People who prefer rice dish in the mornings can have it for breakfast. (Some used to have rice dish for breakfast and light dish for lunch).
I have used beans, carrot, seeme badane kai (Chayote), Moong dal and rice with some spices.
Lets see some benefits of having Seeme BadaneKai (Chayote) in our diet.
Seeme badanekai/Chayote belongs to gourd family. It is very low in calories. It has no saturated fats or cholesterol. They are rich source of dietary fiber, anti oxidants, minerals and vitamins. They also contain good amount of potassium. They are good for diet control and weight reduce.
Now lets see the recipe :

Ingredients :

To cook 
Raw rice : ( any variety) : 1 Cup
Moong Dal : 1/2 Cup
Carrot : 1
Beans : 10
Capsicum : 1
Peas : 1/2 Cup
Seeme badanekai/Chayote) : 1
To spice up : (to dry roast)
Channa dal : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Cumin/Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Fenugrik : 1/4 Teaspoon
Cloves : 4 to 5
Cinnamon : small piece
Ingh : Asfatoetida : a pinch
Cardamom : 1 Seed
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
For grinding :
Coconut : 2 Tablespoon or 1/4 Cup
Tamarind : a small marble size
Dry roasted spices
For Seasoning:
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves :  5 to 6
Cashew nuts : 5 to 6
Asafoetida/Ingh : a pinch
Cooking Oil : 2 Tablespoons
To Add 
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons
Turmeric powder : a little
Salt : As required

Method:
1. Wash and cook rice and moong dal separately. (Pressure cook for 6 to 8 minutes). Let it cool
2. Wash and cut vegetables and cook till they turn tender.
3. Keep a small pan on the fire and dry roast, methi, channa dal, urid dal, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, red chilly and jeera one by one. Add curry leaves to the roasted mixture.
4. Grate coconut and grind along with roasted spices and tamarind.
5. Now keep a big pan on the fire. Put cooked rice, dal, vegetables and salt. Add turmeric powder.
6. Mix it well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in between so that does not get burnt.
7. Add ground coconut and spice mixture and mix it nicely. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes
8. Keep a small pan and heat. Add oil, mustard seeds, urid dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add cashew nuts, fry for 10 seconds, add curry leaves and ingh.
9. Shift the ready Moong bisibele baath to a serving dish and add seasoning and ghee.
10. Mix it well and serve with chips and curd.

Note :
It is always better to use home made masala powder. Though it looks lengthy it is healthy and you know what you have used also the quality of the spice does matter. Anyways you can use any brand of Bisi bele baath powder like MTR, Mayyas etc.....(Short cut as my son Ravi says).
Moong dal is a healthy dal and it is always better to use instead of toor dal. (optional). Adding more vegetables is optional. Adding onions also optional. Adding more oil or ghee is also optional. Always it is better to serve Bisibele baath when it is hot.
Bisi means hot, bele is dal and baat is a rice dish.
Time : 40 minutes
Serves : 2 to 3 .