Vangi Bhath Recipe
Vangi Bhath Recipe, a simple spiced rice recipe with vangi (brinjal or eggplant) that's easy to make and perfect to pack in your lunchbox
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice I used ponni rice but basmati will work too
- A marble-sized ball of tamarind
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 6 small aubergines / eggplant / kathirikai
- For Spice Powder:
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 " stick cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 4 dry red chillies more for spicier version
- 3 tsp Bengal gram / chana dal / kadala paruppu
- 2 tsp urad dal / ulatham paruppu / uzhunnu parippu
- 1 tbsp grated coconut fresh or frozen works
For Tempering:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds / jeera / jeerakam
- 1/2 tsp asafoetida / hing / perungayam
- 1 dry red chilli torn into pieces
- 1 sprig curry leaves
For Garnish (Optional)
- 2 tsp ghee
- 1/4 cup halved cashew nuts
Instructions
- Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water for 10 mins and extract juice. Add salt and turmeric to this and transfer to a pan.
- Cube the vangi and add to the tamarind juice and let soak for 15 mins.
- Heat oil for spice powder in a pan and add remaining ingredients for spice powder. Fry till spices are fragrant and the dals turn golden brown. Cool and grind to a powder.
- Heat ghee for garnish in the same pan (if using) and fry cashew nuts until golden brown. Set aside.
- Heat oil for tempering in the same pan and add all the ingredients for tempering. When mustard seeds start popping, add the aubergines with the tamarind extract.
- Cover pan and simmer for about 10 mins till the aubergines are tender and water is almost completely adsorbed.
- Mix in the cooked rice and spice powder and remove from fire.
- Garnish with the fried cashew nuts and serve warm with raita.