Bisi Belle Bath is a Karnataka dish, easy to make and very very tasty and filling. There are many kinds of bisi bele bath, using mixed vegetables, pearl onions, avlaikai. I like to make it with all them.

When I was browsing through many blogs I found that I was throwing away a very nutrious green every week -- the radish leaves never knew we could cook with them. I dont eat radish but we get 2 bunches every week as my husband loves to munch on them.

I was inspired by:

Lakshmi from the Yum Blog - Radish Leaves are edible

Mythreyee from Paajaka - Radish Leaves Curry / Mullangi Keerai Palya

Mahek from Mahek's Kitchen - MULYAPANNACHI BHAJI(radish leaves vegetable)

I started off to make Maheks version for the simple reason there was enough dal and since I never like the bitter taste of radish I thought maybe the dal will help a bit and I can pick and eat. But as soon as I started cleaning the radish leaves the smell was a bit too much for me to handle so then I decided to make bisi bele bath with the leaves maybe with all the vegetables and spices I dont get the bitter taste and maybe then I would get used to the radish taste. The reasult was great, I did get the taste of the leaves but it was not to bad at all. Will probably try making one of the above recipes next time.

Finally the recipe for Radish Leaves Bisi Bele Bath, this is my good friend Radha's recipe I learnt to make this from her when I was in Bangalore, I just added the radish leaves and used MTR Sambhar powder instead of her home made sambhar powder which I miss a lot.



1 cup Tuvar dal
1 cup Rice
6 cups Water
2 cup mixed vegetables, chopped (carrots, beans, brinjal, avlaikai, Peas,whole pearl onions) - you could use one vegetable or all
1 cup radish leaves, washed and chopped. (Leaves from 2 bunches)
1 tomato, chopped
2 tbsp peanuts
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp sambhar powder
2 dry red chillies
10-15 curry leaves
A pinch of asafetida
1 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste


Method

1. Soak the tuvar dal and rice together in water for 1/2 to 1 hour.
   
2. Heat oil in a Pressure Cooker, add the curry leaves, vegetables, peanuts, radish leaves and the dal rice mixture.
   
3. Add the water, salt, turmeric powder and tomatoes.
   
4. Pressure cook for 3 whistles, cool the cooker.
   
5. In a pan heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and the asafetida and wait for them to crackle.
   
6. Add the Sambhar water dissolved in 1/4 cup water ( This is so that the Powder does not burn) and stir for a minute.
   
7. Add this tempering to the pressure cooked mixture.
   
8. Mix well, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
   
9. Serve with Boondhi and curds.