Vangi Bhat (Brinjal Rice)

Some people love it, some people hate it. I have yet to come across someone who is neutral towards this vegetable. Brinjal, aubergine, eggplant, katrikkai, vaingan, vankaya, baingan… call it whatever you please, this vegetable evokes different emotions in different people. All the way from yuck to yum.

I fit beautifully into the “yum” category. Sadly though, I have to restrict my intake of brinjal as I have found it increases my acidity. I love it in any form. The plain brinjal curry, yennai katrikkai (stuffed brinjal), katrikkai sambar, pachadi etc. I don’t particularly care for the bharta type of dishes that call for smoked brinjals. Even the pachadi is made differently at our place.

Yennai katrikkai is an all time favourite and I had it served at my wedding last year too. But the one dish that I absolutely love and can eat as much of is Vangi Bhat. I am not sure of the origin of this dish. Native to Karnataka and Maharashtra, it is made differently in different households.

V is for Vangi Bhat and this is my entry to Nupur's A-Z of Indian Vegetables

Since this dish is also made in Maharashtra as much as it is in Karnataka, I am sending this to Nupur for the RCI: Maharastrian Cuisine event.

Incidentally, this month's JFI by Sangeeta of Ghar ka Khana features Brinjal! So this would be entry to this event too.

Amma prepares Vangi Bhat powder for me so I don’t have to grind the masala in the morning when I’m usually in a hurry. The “real” Vangi Bhat is prepared this way at my place:

Ingredients:
¼ kilo brinjal, chopped into quarters

Rice:
1 cup Basmati Rice
¼ tsp Turmeric
½ tsp Oil
1 tsp Salt

Masala:
2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
¼ cup Coconut, scraped
2-3 Cloves
2-3” stick of Cinnamon
2-3 Red Chillies
2 tbsp Tamarind Paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp Oil

Tempering:
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
¼ tsp Asafoetida
8-10 Curry Leaves
Coriander Leaves for the garnish

Heat the oil and roast the coriander seeds for 2-3 minutes. Add the chillies, cloves, cinnamon and coconut and roast for a little longer. Grind this mixture to a paste adding the tamarind paste and salt.

Add 2 cups of water and cook the rice in a pressure cooker with the oil, turmeric and salt.

In a pressure pan, heat the oil for the tempering, add the mustard seeds and the asafetida. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves and the brinjal pieces. Fry for a couple of minutes. Add the ground masala and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked rice along with salt and mix thoroughly. Cover and cook on a low flame for 2-3 minutes.

Alternatively, you can add raw rice to the brinjal masala mixture and add the water and cook directly in a pressure pan for 2-3 whistles. That's how I made the rice that's in the picture above.

Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy it with cucumber raita.