India GOBisi bele bath in Bangalore
Bisi bele bath is Karnataka's hot lentil rice, and in Bangalore it is a menu dish rather than a destination: you find it on the boards of Udupi-style vegetarian restaurants, not at a single famous counter. What matters is how it reaches you, hot, loose enough to spoon, with ghee and boondi on top.
🍚 Bisi bele bath
"Hot lentil rice": rice, toor dal and vegetables cooked together with a roasted masala and tamarind into something between a khichdi and a stew. Karnataka's one-pot dish, and it must be eaten hot (the name says so).
How it's eaten
With a spoon of ghee and boondi on top; both are standard, not extras.
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Open in India GOWhere to find it in Bangalore
Bisi bele bath is commonly found in restaurants that serve Udupi cuisine, the temple-town vegetarian cooking of coastal Karnataka, and those are the menus to scan in Bangalore. The India GO guide does not yet single out one Bangalore address for it, so treat it as a dish to order where you are already eating: a vegetarian restaurant near your sights rather than a trip across the city.
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✅ What arrives on the plate
A few things tell you it is done the Karnataka way.
- Ghee and boondi on top — A spoon of ghee (clarified butter) and boondi, tiny fried drops of gram-flour batter, are standard, not extras.
- Hot, and loose — The name means "hot lentil rice" in Kannada, and it is served hot, somewhere between a khichdi and a stew. Eat it while it is hot.
- Sides vary — Some places add potato chips, papad, a salad or chutney on the side.
A Mysore dish in Bangalore
Tradition traces bisi bele bath to the palace kitchens of Mysuru, where the recipe is said to have stayed almost a secret among the cooks for two centuries. For the palace city itself, see Bangalore to Mysore and what to eat in Mysore. Ready-made bisi bele bath masala, the roasted spice mix that defines the dish, is also sold ready-made in shops. More on what goes into it on the bisi bele bath page.
Vegetarian, not vegan
Bisi bele bath is vegetarian, with no egg. It is not vegan: ghee goes into the traditional preparation as well as on top, so leaving off the spoon of ghee does not make it dairy-free.
❓ FAQ
Where is bisi bele bath famous?
In Karnataka. Tradition traces it to the Mysore Palace kitchens, and today it is common in restaurants serving Udupi cuisine, including in Bangalore.
Where can I eat bisi bele bath in Bangalore?
Look for it on the menus of Udupi-style vegetarian restaurants. The India GO guide does not yet name one Bangalore address for it.
What is bisi bele bath served with?
A spoon of ghee and boondi on top as standard; sometimes chips, papad, salad or chutney on the side.
Is bisi bele bath vegetarian?
Yes, with no egg or meat. It is not vegan: ghee is part of the traditional recipe, not only the topping.