Bisi Bele Bath Risotto at Indienne
FOR THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH PURÉE
Butternut squash: 450 g (peeled, seeded, cut into 1-insh pieces)
Garlic cloves: 25 g (peeled)
Vegetable oil: 20 ml
Salt: 10 g
Vegetable stock: as needed for blending
FOR THE BISI BELE BATH SPICE POWDER
Chana dal: 20 g
Urad dal: 10 g
Coriander seeds: 20 g
Dried red chiles: 10
Cumin seeds: 5 g
Black peppercorns: 2.5 g
Green cardamom pods: 3
Cinnamon stick: 1 1/2-inch piece
Whole cloves: 3
Fenugreek seeds: 1-1.5 g
Sesame seeds: 5 g
Poppy seeds: 10 g
Curry leaves: 12
Unsweetened dried coconut: 15 g
Asafoetida: 1-2 g
FOR THE CUMIN RICOTTA
Ricotta: 50 g
Roasted ground cumin: 7 g
Salt: to taste
FOR THE SAUTÉED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Butternut squash: 120 g (peeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice)
Ghee: 30 g, as needed
Salt: to taste
Bisi bele bath spice powder: 1 pinch, plus 50 g for the risotto
FOR THE RISOTTO
Low-sodium vegetable stock: 1.2-1.5 L
Vegetable oil: 500 ml
Shallots: 150 g (finely chopped)
Garlic: 70 g (finely chopped)
Ginger: 70 g (finely chopped)
Curry leaves: 5 (finely chopped)
Green chile: 5 g (finely chopped)
Bisi bele bath spice powder: 50 g
Arborio rice: 450 g
Butternut squash purée: 200 g (from above)
Unsalted butter: 80 g (cubed)
Salt: to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper: to taste
Fresh lemon juice: to taste
Bisi bele bath is a rice-and-lentil dish from Karnataka in southern India. Sathish Kumar grew up eating it for Diwali lunch in Chennai, where his family followed a big pot of it with coconut payasam. For this version, he uses the dish’s toasted spice blend to season Arborio rice, then stirs roasted butternut squash purée into the risotto as it cooks.
“I always recommend using freshly prepared spices and giving everything enough time to come together,” says Kumar. He finishes the risotto with cold butter and a squeeze of lemon, then tops each bowl with sautéed squash and a few dots of cumin ricotta.
- Heat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
- Peel the squash and separate the neck from the bulb end.
- Halve and seed the bulb end, then cut 450 g of the flesh into 1-inch pieces.
- Reserve the neck for the garnish.
- Toss the squash pieces and garlic cloves with the oil and salt on a sheet pan.
- Roast until the squash is completely tender and lightly browned at the edges, checking after 25 minutes.
- Make the spice powder while the squash roasts.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the chana dal and urad dal, stirring, until lightly golden. Transfer them to a plate to cool.
- In the same skillet, toast the coriander, dried chiles, cumin, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and fenugreek until fragrant. Add the sesame and poppy seeds toward the end and stir briefly. Transfer everything to the plate.
- Toast the curry leaves until fragrant and crisp, then add them to the plate. Toast the dried coconut last, stirring until it turns lightly golden. Let everything cool completely, then grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Stir in the asafoetida. Measure 50 g for the risotto and set aside a pinch for the squash garnish. Store the rest in an airtight container.
- If using a ready-made bisi bele bath spice blend, measure out 50 g plus a pinch for the garnish.
- Blend the roasted squash and garlic until smooth, adding a splash of vegetable stock if needed to get the blades moving. For a finer texture, pass the purée through a fine-mesh sieve. Measure out 200 g for the risotto.
- Whisk the ricotta with the roasted cumin and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer it to a piping bag if you have one, or refrigerate it in a covered bowl and use a spoon to plate it.
- Bring the stock to a bare simmer in a separate saucepan and keep it hot while you make the risotto.
- Dice about 120 g of the reserved squash neck.
- Heat enough of the ghee to coat a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the squash and season lightly with salt and a pinch of spice powder.
- Sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 6 to 10 minutes.
- Set aside and keep warm.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a wide, heavy saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the shallots, garlic, and ginger and cook gently, stirring, until softened without browning.
- Add the curry leaves and green chile and stir until fragrant.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in the spice powder and cook for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Add a splash of hot stock and stir to loosen the spices from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the rice and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to coat the grains.
- Add the hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring regularly and waiting until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next. Keep the rice at a gentle simmer.
- When the grains have begun to soften but are still quite firm in the center, about halfway through cooking, stir in the 200 g squash purée.
- Continue adding hot stock as needed until the rice is al dente and the risotto flows easily when you tilt the pan.
- Allow about 18 to 25 minutes from the first ladleful of stock, using the texture of the rice as your guide.
- Take the pan off the heat.
- Stir in the cold butter vigorously until the risotto is glossy.
- Taste and season with salt, black pepper, and fresh lemon juice. If the risotto has tightened up, stir in another splash of hot stock.
- Spoon the risotto into warm, shallow bowls and tap the base of each bowl gently to help it spread.
- Top with the warm diced squash and pipe or spoon on small dots of cumin ricotta.
- Serve immediately.
