Vangi Bath (Brinjal Rice)
Vangi Bath (brinjal rice), a light spicy rice dish made with sauteed brinjal, is yet another delicious rice recipe from South Indian cuisine. It is particularly popular in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra where Vangi means brinjal/baingan/eggplant and Bath/Bhath/Bhat means rice in local language. Due to this, it is also commonly known as the Brinjal Rice. The process of making Vangi Bhath is simple; brinjal pieces are first cooked with vangi bath masala powder and tamarind pulp, and then mixed with cooked rice. This Vangi Bath Recipe makes this entire process even simpler to follow with detailed instructions and step by step photos, making it even easier for you to cook it at home. This rice dish can also be prepared in just 10-15 minutes if you have leftover steamed rice, and have readymade or homemade vangi bath masala powder on hand.
| Ingredients: |
| 1 cup cubed Brinjal (eggplant) (approx. 150 gm) |
| 3/4 cup Sona Masuri Rice /Basmati Rice (or 2 cups Cooked Rice) |
| 2 tablespoons Oil |
| 1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds |
| 1/2 teaspoon Urad Dal |
| 7-8 Curry Leaves |
| 1 Dry Red Chilli |
| 2 tablespoons Peanuts or 6-7 Cashew Nuts |
| 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder |
| 1/2 tablespoon Tamarind (soaked into 1/4 cup water) or 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice |
| 1½ tablespoons Vangi Bath Powder |
| 2 tablespoons finely chopped Coriander Leaves |
Note: If you are uisng lemon juice instead of tamarind juice, add it in step-10 to the prepared mixture while mixing it with cooked rice.
Directions:- Prepare steamed rice; soak 3/4-cup rice in 1-cup water for 20-minutes. Drain the water from the rice and pressure cook them over medium flame with 1½-cups water and salt in a steel/aluminum pressure cooker for 2-whistles. Let pressure come down naturally. Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork to separate the rice strains.
- Soak brinjal pieces in salted water. This will prevent them from turning brown. Keep them aside.
- Soak 1/2 tablespoon tamarind in 1/4 cup hot water for 10 minutes. Mash it with a spoon or squeeze it with hand. Strain the juice and discard the fibrous pulp.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan or kadai over medium flame. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add 1/2 teaspoon urad dal. Sauté until dal turns slightly light brown.
- Add 7-8 curry leaves, 1 dry red chilli, and 2 tablespoons peanuts. Stir and cook for a minute.
- Add brinjal and salt to taste.
- Mix and sauté for a minute. Cook covered until brinjal turns tender (approx. 5-6 minutes). Stir in between once or twice to prevent sticking. If required, sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons water over brinjal pieces to prevent them from sticking to the pan.
- Add tamarind juice (prepared in step-2).
- Add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and 2 tablespoons vangi bath masala powder. Taste the masala and add more salt if required.
- Mix well. If mixture looks dry, add 2-3 tablespoons water.
- Cook for 2-minutes.
- Add cooked rice.
- Mix well until each rice grain is evenly coated with the masala. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve.
Tips and Variations:
- You can use small green eggplant or purple eggplant (large size) according to availability.
- You can use either store-bought or Homemade Vangi Bhat Masala according to the availability.
- You can replace tamarind juice with 1-tablespoon lemon juice.
Taste: Light spicy with mild tanginess
Serving Ideas: Serve it hot with Cucumber raita or plain curd and fried papadam for lunch or dinner.