Red Rice Poha Bisibelebath

This is a short-cut version of one of my favorite rice varieties.  Usually the prepping and cooking time for bisibelebath takes longer for me but this time I had some cooked dhal on hand. All I had to do was to cut the required vegetables and start preparing it right away. I have used red rice poha here. Red rice is known for its various health benefits like reducing cholesterol etc, so this is a very healthy and ideal grain of choice for diabetics.  Personally, we liked this variation better since the texture of the poha was very soft in this dish. I have used home-made bisibelebath masala here and the recipe for that will be updated here soon.

Here is the recipe for a quicker and healthier version of bisibelebath:

Ingredients:
1. Cooked toor dhal, 2/3 cup.
2. Red rice poha or any other poha varieties like white or brown rice, 1 cup,
3. Peeled small onions, 1 cup.
4. Tomatoes, medium-size, 2, chopped.
5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 teaspoon.
6. Mixed vegetables like carrots, green beans, bell peppers, peas, drumsticks etc all coming around 1-1/2 cup when chopped.
7.Curry leaves, a few.
8. Chopped cilantro, around 2 tablespoons.
9. Mustard seeds, 1/4 teaspoon.
10. Cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon.
11. Turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon.
12. Bisibelebath powder, 1 tablespoon.
13. Asafetida, a pinch.
14. Salt, as per taste.
15. Tamarind, a small gooseberry size, extract thick juice from this and keep aside.

Preparation:
Wash the poha and let it soak in water just enough to immerse it for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, squeeze the water out of the poha and keep it aside. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. Now add the small onions and saute for a few minutes until the onions are tender. Now add the chopped tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, and curry leaves and keep sauteeing until everything is well blended. Now add the diced mixed vegetables along with the turmeric powder, bisibelebath powder; mix everything and saute for 2 more minutes until the spices lose their raw smell. Now add the tamarind juice along with 2 cups of water, asafetida, and salt and let it come to a boil and then add the cooked dhal. Mix everything well and let it cook for 5 minutes until the  vegetables are cooked. Now add poha ,  2 more cups of water, mix well, and cook for a minute and turn off the stove and garnish with chopped cilantro.  The bisibelebath might look a little runny at this stage but it will start to thicken up as it cools. Serve with pickle or pappad or any spicy side dish.