Quinoa bisi bele bath is a flavorful sambar sadam (quinoa). If you are looking for ways to cut down carbs and add some flavours to the quinoa this is one great way. With Indian flavour this is tasty, filling and healthy meal
When I was pregnant, I wanted to reduce Carbs, but rice is our staple food and I couldn’t avoid rice. My friend suggested “Quinoa” and asked me to cook rice and Quinoa together. Slowly I started experimenting with Quinoa, tried upma, idli, dosa, panniyaram, quiche etc.
My husband loves Bisi bele bath. Spending many years in Bangalore his favorite weekend lunch is Sambar Sadam. If I ask him what he wants he immediately opt for this. My bisi bele bath is no way close to the authentic one but this is the only way my Amma prepares it and we like it so we follow it. Luckily he likes this way and I sticked to the same recipe.
Usually I use ponni rice/Sona masuri rice for preparing sambar Sadam. One day I wanted to cook bisi bele bath but wanted to try it with quinoa as we got adopted to quinoa taste. as we are use to quinoa taste couldn’t find much difference in the taste. Healthy and filling one-pot meal. Quinoa and dal make this a protein rich meal
Checkout other rice varieties in TMF:
- Vegetable Rice
- Puliyodharai
- Mango Rice
- Kashmiri Pulao
- Brinjal Rice
- Semiya Bagala Bath
- Vegetable Biryani
- Bisi Bele Bath
- Coconut Rice with coconut milk
- Tomato Biryani
- Capsicum Rice
- Couscous Pulav (Pilaf)
- Coriander Rice
Ingredients:
Quinoa – 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp, soaked and drained
Toor Dal – 1/2 cup, soaked and drained
Mixed Vegetable – 2 cups (I used carrots, beans, capsicum and potato)
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Sesame Oil – 1/4 tsp
shallots – 14
Curry leaves – 1 spring
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder – 1/4 tsp
Sambar Powder – 1/2 tsp
Tamarind – 2 tbsp
Roasted Peanuts – 2 tbsp
Cashew – 2 tbsp
Water – 3 cups + 3/4 cup
Salt – to taste
To temper:
Mustard Seeds – 1/8 tsp
Fenugreek – 1/8 tsp
For Bisi Bele Bath spice(makes Approx. 1/4 Cup)
Chana dal (split bengal gram) – 1 tbsp
Cinnamon powder – 1 tsp (optional)
Coconut – 3 tbsp, grated
Red chillies – 3
Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
Peppercorn – 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek – 1/4 tsp
Fennel Seed – 1/4 tsp
Shallots – 3
Oil – 1/2 tsp (I used coconut oil)
Method:
- Soak dal and Quinoa in water for 30 minutes – 1 hour; and then rinse.
- Add oil to the pan, add all the ingredients (Except Coconut) listed under ‘For Bisi Bela Bath Powder ‘ and sauté on low flame for 2 – 3 mins or till they turn golden brown in color. Add coconut after switching off and keep aside to cool. After the ingredients are cooled, add water and blend in a mixer to a fine paste and keep aside
- Add Ghee to the Pressure cooker. When ghee is hot, add the items under ‘To Temper’ and let the mustard seed crackle. Add shallots and saute for 2 minutes, then add vegetables and saute for 5 minutes. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, sambar powder and give a quick mix. Add the blended paste and mix well
- Add quinoa, toor dal, tamarind and mix gently. Saute on medium flame for 1 minute. Add salt, and 3 cups + 1/4 cup of hot water, mix gently. Finally add peanuts, cashew and sesame oil. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles
- Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Garnish with Coriander leaves/Boondi/sev/Oma pudi and serve hot
Ingredients
- Quinoa - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp soaked and drained
- Toor Dal - 1/2 cup soaked and drained
- Mixed Vegetable - 2 cups I used carrots, beans, capsicum and potato
- Ghee - 1 tbsp
- Sesame Oil - 1/4 tsp
- shallots - 14
- Curry leaves - 1 spring
- Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
- Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
- Sambhar Powder - 1/2 tsp
- Tamarind - 2 tbsp
- Roasted Peanuts - 2 tbsp
- Cashew - 2 tbsp
- Water - 3 cups + 3/4 cup
- Salt - to taste
- To temper:
- Mustard Seeds - 1/8 tsp
- Fenugreek - 1/8 tsp
- For Bisi Bele Bath spice makes Approx. 1/4 Cup
- Chana dal split bengal gram - 1 tbsp
- Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp optional
- Coconut - 3 tbsp grated
- Red chillies - 3
- Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
- Peppercorn - 1/4 tsp
- Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
- Fennel Seed - 1/4 tsp
- Shallots - 3
- Oil - 1/2 tsp I used coconut oil
Instructions
- Soak dal and Quinoa in water for 30 minutes - 1 hour; and then rinse.
- Add oil to the pan, add all the ingredients (Except Coconut) listed under 'For Bisi Bela Bath Powder ' and sauté on low flame for 2 - 3 mins or till they turn golden brown in color. Add coconut after switching off and keep aside to cool. After the ingredients are cooled, add water and blend in a mixer to a fine paste and keep aside
- Add Ghee to the Pressure cooker. When ghee is hot, add the items under 'To Temper' and let the mustard seed crackle. Add shallots and saute for 2 minutes, then add vegetables and saute for 5 minutes. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, sambar powder and give a quick mix. Add the blended paste and mix well
- Add quinoa, toor dal, tamarind and mix gently. Saute on medium flame for 1 minute. Add salt, and 3 cups + 1/4 cup of hot water, mix gently. Finally add peanuts, cashew and sesame oil. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles
- Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Garnish with Coriander leaves/Boondi/sev/Oma pudi and serve hot
Video
Notes
- Chop vegetables into big chunks so that they won't became mushy while cooking
- Instead of homemade bisi bele bath paste, you can also use bisi bele bath powder available in the stores
- If you are using Drumsticks boil them separately, and add it to cooked Bisi Bele bath rather than cooking along with other veggies. This would prevent Drumstick from breaking apart
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I love the way you adapt traditional favourites to a more modern way!
Thanku Aruna:-)
Healthy one.I have not try quinoa bisi bele bath sounds good, must try.
Thanku Madhavi:-)
Healthy and looks delicious Vidya….
Thanku C:-)
healthy and tasty meal
Thanku Veena:-)
Quinoa Sambhar? Wow, sounds so intriguing. Loved this healthy and delicious recipe.
Thanku Anu:-)
All of these flavors sound amazingly delicious!
Thanku Julie:-)
Great vids. I too mix and match quinoa and rice. yumm
Thanku Sri:-)
Healthy and a Delicious bhat..
Thanku Jeena:-)
Vidya ,this sounds delicious. I have yet to master cooking quinoa. It just never comes out right I will try your recipe, it sounds delicious.
Thanku Suzanne:-)
yummy yummy yummy
Bikram’s
Thanu Bikram:-)
Looks delicious, healthy one pot meal, hard to resist.
Thanku Swathi:-)
I wanted to try something Indian with quinoa …will try this 🙂
Thanku Bharani:-)
Great recipe Vidya! So healthy and nutritious!
Thanku Sandhya:-)
Yum, this sounds delicious. Love all the spices! I started trying quinoa when I was first pregnant too, now I am a total addict 🙂
Thanku Donna:-)
This is so innovative dear! Totally in love with this!
Thanku Kushi:-)
Absolutely healthy and delicious! Looks yum!
Thanku Nish:-)
Looks sound interesting & healthy recipe..thanks for sharing vidya !!
Thanku Jolly:-)
Wow! What innovation… looks so healthy and filling!
Thanku dear:-)
Wow!! Healthy twist to the traditional recipe!! Yummy!!
Thanku Sundari:-)
What a brilliant idea!!
Thanku SKD:-)
What a delicious and healthy dish! Yum 🙂
Thanku Antonio:-)
A new dish for me but it does look tasty 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Thanku Madiha:-)
we usually prepare sambar’s at home.. but title and ingredients sounds new to me and heavy nah.. any way i will surely try this with my mummy.. thanks dear for sharing a wonderful recipe.. can i ask one question?
what’s the importance of adding cashew here?
Thanku Sneha:-) cashew s just for garnish you can perfectly ignore that
Super idea, Vidya. Bisibele bhath could not get any healthier than this!
Thanku Apsara:-)
Love the idea of Quinoa in Bisi Bele Bhath. I always serve this bisi bele bhath with some crunchy boondi. :). – Sreelatha
Boondi rauta s grt combo na, thanku dear:-)
Boondi raita s grt combo na.. Thabku Sree:-)
love the new recipe ,vidhya dear , excellent!!