Bisi Bele Baath (rice with lentils)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long-grained rice
• 1 cup toor daal
• 2 cups mixed frozen vegetables (carrots, beans, potatoes, peas)
• 1 cup tamarind juice (soak golf ball-sized lump of tamarind in 1 cup water for 15 minutes. Squeeze out juice.)
• 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp aniseed/fennel seeds
• 1" stick cinnamon
• 4 cardamom
• 6 cloves
• 8 peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
• 6 curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 onions sliced thin
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation:

• Wash the toor daal and add 1 1/2 cups of water to it. Half cook it in a pressure cooker. Keep aside.
• Roast all spices, mix with coconut, turmeric powder, ginger and garlic and grind into a thick paste using a little water at a time. Keep this masala aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When they stop spluttering add the onions and fry till soft.
• Add the tamarind juice and 1 cup of water to this and bring to a boil. Add the rice, vegetables, toor daal, masala and salt to taste and cook till all ingredients are done.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.