The 9 AM Whistle!

Hearing my cooker's third whistle at 9 AM on a Sunday, I rush to turn it off, recalling my mother's presence. This brings me so much ease, especially on a Sunday morning, as my breakfast and lunch are all set, eventually bringing dinner quickly to the table. She has no idea how grateful I am for inheriting her knack for making cooking easier. Watching her swaying her hands and moving swiftly around her kitchen shelves, I realize how fast and easy she makes it look. I can still taste her food, her flavors, leaving me yearning forever. Even now, I take a moment of gratitude, praying thank you, for I would not have survived the days after your stay during my post-delivery. It was never about the duty of a girl's mother to fulfill but how much you took yourself down the road with me, assuring me of your presence. Thank you so much, for you made me fall in love with cooking even more. I want to say everything, but the most we missed was your 9 AM cooker whistle waking us up.

Whenever I visit India, without fail, I always request my favorite meal, which is uniquely hers. I'm sure my brother will have his favorite, my sister will pick another, and the list becomes endless. I can even see her grandchildren lining up on the requests. But from everything she makes, this particular one stands out, making it a luxurious serving.

Today, as I speak on my mother's culinary touch, I dedicate this wholesome cooking chapter to my grandfather, who loves food, flavors, and spices—his search for a feast and the need for specific tasty punches to pop in his mouth. I feel delighted by those requests when he visits home because I see my mom cooking with such passion that every dish from morning to evening seems extraordinary. And at times, when I elaborately cook with intense love, I find myself reaching out to him and saying, "You, too, join my feast, and today is one such day." 

Feb 9, 2025 

As I open my cooker, I smell the steam aromatizing my home, igniting my spirit and encouraging me to immerse myself to enjoy the meal to the fullest. The scent alone tells me about my meal's perfection, bringing joy to the day and nostalgic memories on the plate. 

A push from behind, my 3-year-old climbs onto the countertop and curiously asks, "Wowoo, what's that?"

"It's called Bisi Bele Baath, " which translates to 'Hot lentil rice dish,' I say. And I can see her walking away with a face and head nodding, "Nope."

"Of course, who wants lentil rice?" I murmur, 

But before I could explain what makes this dish unique, she was already out of my sight. Poof into the thick steam! The mere thought of rice and lentil dish bores, yet Ayurveda suggests it as the most satvic combo, making it an ideal meal.

And I dramatically say, to be heard, "I want it."

A little backdrop: my dad is from Kerala, where everything has coconut, while my mom is from Tamil Nadu, where most items have a touch of tamarind. Bisi Bele Bath is a dish from Karnataka that combines both coconut and tamarind, and its uniqueness comes from the subtle sweetness of jaggery. Each state defines its delicious cuisine, inviting rich diversity we all can celebrate!

Bisi Bele Bath, a pure, authentic vegetarian dish, is called the top-notch royal dish of Karnataka.

Bisi means hot, Bela means lentil, and bath(pronounced as bhath) refers to a cooked rice dish.

Hailing from the southern part of India, Tamil Nadu, my kitchen pantry is filled with lentils, rice, tamarind, jaggery, and coconut, our staple everyday food.  The amount of varieties arising from these with a play of spices and flavors amuses me. The styles and textures, contributing as savory, soupy, and dietary foods, fulfilling the need of the hour, blows my mind. The only delay I find is in the spirit to start what we often call laziness, which I never came across in my mother. Everything was on the table, ready to eat. The variety of food items she still explores brings back a vivid memory of my two sisters standing beside her, celebrating the entire cooking experience. How much they loved their stay. This has brought back hours of conversations about food, often leaving us with cravings to satisfy. 

Slowly stirring the rice, lentils, and vegetables in the cooker, I smell the essence of the spices that bring life to this dish. And let me tell you, the finishing touch before serving is luscious. It tastes best when it is served hot. The base may sound pretty straightforward, but the blend of spices and the bites of tender vegetables soaked in the pool of richness makes it unique.

Growing up, I always assumed three things were a must on the lunch plate: rice, a liquid-textured curry, and a dry sauteed dish with a fried wafer(Appalam), curd, and pickle on the side as extras. Nowadays, I consider that plate a feast. I realize the amount of time dedicated to the making to be incredible and how much we don't value comes to light. I feel blessed to have tasted the selfless nature of expressing unconditional love in abundance.

Spicing up the last bit of richness, a swirl of ghee over my  BisiBellaBaath, I close my recipe book, wondering where my mother got this idea of making this dish come from. When asked, she said she didn't remember, but I assumed maybe from her favorite chef, Malika Badrinath's TV show, which she used to watch when I was a child. 

The difference between my cooking and hers is the importance of the measurements that play a vital role, and I always tend to brush it off. I see how much the vibrant colors enhance the appetite, the need to be visually appealing to the eyes, presenting to delight. The requirement to add specifics is not to be taken lightly. In Bisi Bele Bath, one, in particular, is the choice of Byadagi red chilies, which are known for their deep red color and relatively mild heat, adding a subtle presence to the spice blend. 

Picking up a tablespoon to taste, I relish its gooey texture, which stands out from other rice varieties. The taste of spice with a touch of tanginess smoothly traverses to the stomach with ease and comfort, stirring up the whole sense of love and balancing the soul, body, and mind. Ohhh! The passion and love for food. It is, in every sense, an emotion.

Seeing my daughter smile at the soothing taste of ghee, I scoop up a portion for her to try while dipping it in cucumber raita with the last bite of potato chips, adding a perfect finishing touch to the mouthful. Watching her eyes light up with delight at the subtle spice in the taste melting in her mouth, she signs, "Good." And I dig in for another mouthful to feed. The raita on the side balances the spice, while the potato chips for crunch, rounding off the day over a healthy, complete meal, carrying all the ingredients that add to every bit of nutritional value. Proteins in lentils, carbohydrates in rice, fiber from carrots, healthy fats from green beans, etc... create a balanced nutritional meal. The core of this dish is in the making of the spice. Every home has its unique way of preparing the dish, adding a signature touch. For example, some people add peanuts, while others add a pinch of jaggery, and some do not add both of them. With time catering to seconds, the old traditional slow cooking has moved on to one-pot dishes with a readily available spice mix. Yet, it is a feast carrying every inch of its goodness without fail.

I'm not sure if I carried you along with my love for tasting the spices soaked in the food, but I certainly got carried out, yearning for a cooked meal from my mom. With time, the more I long for it, the more bittersweet I sense, yet there's a blissful promise to move on.

I admit that writing down a recipe is challenging since I hardly follow measurements, though I peek to get a glance at it before starting. It's like the moments before an examination, the feeling of I forgot everything.

Nowadays, I cook by tossing everything into my cooker, and with three whistles, voila, Bisi Bele Bath is ready to be served. I will give you an idea about the entire process, but the best from my research I found to match my taste is https://kannanskitchen.com/bisi-bele-bath/   for your reference.

Bisi Bele Bath 

Raw Rice (Sona Masoori or Ponni)-- 1 Cup 

Toor Dal -- 1/2 Cup 

Mix vegetables, say carrots and potatoes, cut into cubes, and sliced green beans, adding up to 1 cup. 

Lemon-sized Tamarind Paste

Masala Powder: I got the MTR Bisi Bele Bath masala powder, as the list of spices to include is more than we can comprehend. Lol. E.g., 

Kashmiri red Chilli-- 15 

Guntar chili - 4 to 7 pieces

Coriander Seeds -- 2 tbsp

Cloves -- 2 to 3

Cumin - 2 tbsp

Cinnamon -- 1-inch 

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Sesame seeds - 1 Tbsp

Channa dal, Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Fenugreek Seeds 1/2 tsp

Poppy Seeds -- 1 tbsp

Desiccated Coconut -   1 tbsp etc...

Process 

1. Wash and soak the Rice and dal together for one hour. Then, pressure cook for three whistles, pouring five to six cups of water into the electric cooker.

2. While waiting for the whistles, fry the masala ingredients in a dry pan sprayed with a teaspoon of oil until golden brown. Once the temperature settles, grind the masala to a coarse powder.

3. Heat oil in a pan and saute the mix of vegetables for a few minutes.

4. Add a tablespoon of tamarind extract, salt to taste, and two tablespoons of masala powder, and boil for a few more minutes. 

5. Add the cooked rice and dal and slowly stir on a medium flame for a few more minutes. At this point, I add one more tablespoon of masala powder and a pinch of jaggery until I breathe in the flavors.

6. Towards the end, put fried golden brown cashews and kara boondi on top and stir it lightly on the surface level.

7. Serving hot, Bisi Bele Bath drizzled with a tablespoon of ghee, entices you to enjoy this scrumptious meal.

12. It goes amazingly well with cucumber raita and potato chips on the side.

Cucumber Raita

1. Whisk the curd until smooth and add bite-sized peeled cucumber cubes. Add a pinch of ginger and ajwai and mix well. Salt to taste and top it with a sprinkle of chat masala. If you like, lightly fry the cumin seeds and cut green chilies. Add them to the curd mixture, leveling up the spice.

The whole recipe may sound too complicated, but the process is simple. We just need to give it a try. Remember, oftentimes, bisi bele bath is compared with sambar rice. The uniqueness is in the spice blend.

As I take a photo to send to my mother, my daughter asks, "What's this?"

I say, "Bisi Bele Bath."

She questions, "Bath?" Just then, a notification comes through, and we both look at the phone, but there’s nothing.

My daughter tells me, "special!"

And I tell her, "This is your grandmother's special! (Lollu Paati's special! In Tamil, 'Paati 'means grandmother)."

"Good!" she responds, and I smile at her while staring at my phone. My mom seems to have started a pattern of not responding immediately. Trying to balance her complaint about me that I am not answering her calls while teaching, what detachment and longing mean.

Typical!