1. BISSI BELA HULI (SAMBAR RICE)

(Mysore)

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup arhar dal

1 cup rice

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

3 teaspoon salt

1 lump tamarind (size of a lime)

8½ cups of water

4 tablespoons gingelly oil 2 teaspoons mustard 4 red chillies 1 sprig curry leaves		Seasoning
2 teaspoons ghee 8 cashewnuts 1 tablespoon minced onion 1 teaspoon spice powder (optional)		Garnishing

Masala to be fried and powdered

1 dessertspoon coriander

1 teaspoon methe

4 red chillies

3 dessertspoons grated coconut

½ cm cube hing

Spice powder

1 teaspoon poppy seeds 3 cloves 3 cardamoms 2 cm cinnamon ½ teaspoon aniseed

Roast and powder

METHOD:

1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water and squeeze out all the pulp. Keep aside.

2. Boil 1½ cups of water with 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. Add washed and cleaned dal. Cook until half done. Pour another 6 cups of water and bring to boil. Add rice. Cook untill both dal and rice are soft.

3. In the meantime heat a little oil and fry corian der. methe, red chillies, hing aad coconut, crisp Methe should be browned more than the others Powder.

4. When the rice is cooked, add tamarind juice, salt and powdered masala. Mix well. Boil until the raw smell of tamarind goes off.

5. Heat the remaining oil well, season with mustard, red chillies and curry leaves. Pour over the rice and dal. Mix well. Take off the fire. It should still be rather watery at this stage.

6. Heat the ghee well. Fry the cashewnuts brown and keep aside. Fry the onions, brown in the same ghee. Add the whole thing with the nuts to the rice. Add the spice powder (optional). Mix well. Serve when cold.