"E" for Eggplant Rice/Vangi Bhath

My mom used to prepare and serve "Vangi Bhath" along with Appalam and Majjiga pulusu. This recipe is basically from "Karnataka" and "Maharasthra" states of India."Eggplant" is called "Vangi" in Marati.See this link for more info.

Ingredients for Vangi Bhath
Eggplants(Brinjal/Vankaya/Kattirikaya)- 3 no
Basmathi Rice - 3 cups
Green chillies - 3 no,juliened,
Onions - 1 big size,chopped into thin slices
Jeera - 2 tspn
Chana dal - 2 tspn
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Peanuts(Veusenaga pappu/Verkadalai)- ½ cup
Vanghi Bhath masala Powder - 3 to 4 tspn
Tamarind Juice - 3tspn or 1tspn tamarind pulp
Oil - 2tbspn
Ghee - 2 tspn
Salt to taste.
Coriander leaves(Kotthimeera/Kotthamalli/Kotthambir) for garnishing.

Vangi Bhath Masala Powder:
Dessicated coconut pwd(kobbari/kopra) - 3tbspn
Chana dal(Bengal gram /Senaga Pappu/Kadalaparippu) - 2tbspn
Urad dal(Minnapappu/Uzhandu) - 2 tbspn
Coriander seeds(Dhaniyalu/Dhaniya) - 2 tbspn
Seseme seeds(Nuvvulu/Ellu) - 2tbspn
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves - 2 no
Green Cardamom - 1no
Sha jeera( Caraway seeds) - ¼ tspn
Fenugreek seeds(Menthulu) - ¼ tspn
Red chillies - 5
Cinnamon(Dalchina chekka/Dalchini) - 1" piece
Groung Nutmeg(Javithri) - ½ tspn
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method

Heat a sauce pan and dry roast the Coconut powder into light golden colour and keep it aside.Roast red chillies to light brown color and transfer to a plate.Dry roast all other ingredients( Chana dal/Uraddal/Dhaniyalu/Seseme seeds/Cumin seeds /Cloves/Fenugreek seeds/Cinnamon) one after one seperately.Let it cool and Grind all the ingredients together to a fine powder.Store in a airtight container in fridge.It will stay for 6 months.

Making Vangi Bhath

1.Wash Brinjals(Eggplants) and cut into long thin pieces.Immerse cut pieces in salt water to prevent the changing color of eggplants. Cook Basmathi rice in electric rice cooker by adding suffcient water.

2.Heat oil in the same pan, add the cumin seeds and stir. When the cumin seeds crackle,add chana dal fry for light brown color,then add the chopped green chillies ,onions and salt and sauté for 2 minutes.

3.Add eggplant pieces ,turmeric and sauté ,stirring for 3 minutes,untill eggplants are semi translucent.

4.Add curry leaves,redchillipwd,vangibhath masala pwd and stir for a while and cover with lid and cook in low flame for another 2 minutes.

5.Add tamarind juice,roasted peanuts/groundnuts and stir well ,and cook for another 2 minutes.Tamarind juice adds tangy taste to it and end result is eggplant dry curry , absorbed with masala pwd,oil,salt and colorful because of turmeric.

6.Mix this into the boiled basmathi rice and add salt & chilli pwd & masala pwd according to taste if neccessary .Add a tspn of ghee to it and mix well to get all the flavours into the rice and Cook for another 4 minutes by covering with lid.

7.Remove from fire and garnish with fresh Coriander leaves. Now, Hot "VangiBhath" is ready to serve with any Raita.

Ingredients for Carrot Raita

Grated carrot - ½ cup
Curd - 2cups
Ginger - 1" piece,finely chopped,
Jeera pwd - ½ tspn
Cucumber pieces - ½ cup
Green Chilly - 1 no,chopped
Onion - 1 no,chopped into small pieces
Salt to taste

Making Carrot Raita

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Ingredients for Mushroom Bajji
Button Mushrooms - 8 or 10 no, each chopped into half
Besan /Senagapindi - 2cups
Rice flour - 2 tbspn
Corn flour - 1 tspn
Red chilli pwd - 2tspn
Jeera pwd - ½ tspn
Coriander pwd/Dhaniya pwd - ½ tspn
Salt to taste
Water for making batter
Oil for frying.

Making of Mushroom Bajji
Sieve Gram flour and mix along with rice flour ,corn flour ,all the above ingredients in a bowl with adequate water to make a bajji batter.Dip the mushroom pieces and deep fry in oil.Strain these bajjis on tissue paper to take out exccess oil.Serve hot with any Chutney/Tomato sauce along with a cup of Coffee at evening times. And a good accompany to any Pulov/Biryani if it is a lunch or a dinner.

Ingredients for Cucumber Butter milk
Curd - 2 cups
Cucumber - 1/2 cup,chopped into small pieces
Ginger - 1" piece
Cumin pwd - ½ tspn
Lemon juice - 1 tspn
Cilantro - 2 sprigs,chopped
Curry leaves - 3 or 4 no,chopped
Salt to taste.

Making of Cucumber Buttermilk
Wash and peel the Cucumber,Ginger and cut into pieces and make it into purée along with coriander leaves in a blender.Add Jeera pwd,salt,curry leaves,curd and mix well with ice water and whip for a while in blender.Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and Serve chill.
My entry to FMR Event -"For the love of Rice " hosting by hostess Paz.


Recipe Source:AMMA