Vangi Bhat-Aromatic Rice Pilaf With Brinjal/Eggplant

One more memory from US stay…. In India yet to make again, but was great in taste. Planning for lunch this weekend.

I never had
a chance to eat vangi bhat while we were in bangalore. But always having a keen desire of
making it. After checking many blogs I found different ways of cooking. I was
very confused about it because I never thought of brinjal mix with rice. So
finally tried the way similer to lemon rice just added tamarind paste as an
extra ingredient. When finished cooking I was so happy the way it came out J. Me and my husband loved it so much
that next day my husband told me to make it for lunch too. Really a must try
recipe for all J

1.5 Cup
Sona Masoori rice (any kind of rice will work)

1 Medium
sized onion chopped finely

1 dried bay
leaf

1″
cinnamon

4-5 Dry red
chili

1 Tsp
ginger-garlic paste

3-4 Green
chilies slit or finely chopped (optional)

2 Fistful
peanuts

3 Tsp chana
dal/bengal gram

1 Tsp cumin
seeds

1 Tsp
mustard seeds

1/4 Tsp
turmeric powder

3/4 Tsp red
chili powder

1.5 Tsp
tamarind paste

1 Sprig of
curry leaves

Chopped
green coriander for garnishing

4 Cup
brinjal cur into big pieces

1/4 Tsp
garam masala

Salt as per
taste

Method: Soak the rice for half an hour. Cook them and let it cool to the room temperature.

Soak the chana dal/bangal gram too before one hour.

Heat the
oil in a pan. Add dry red chili, bay leaf and cinnamon. Add

cumin and
mustard seeds to this. Once they start spluttering add

onions,
soaked chana dal and peanut and fry it till onion’s color

changes to
brown. This takes usually 2-3 min on medium heat.

To this add ginger-garlic paste & curry leaves and cook that
for a min.

Now add turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala and salt as
per taste. Mix well and put the cut brinjal/eggplant. Cook this until brinjal/eggplant become
tender. It takes around 10-12 min. Add tamarind paste to it and mix well. Cook
the brinjal/eggplant for another few min. When brinjal/eggplant are soft enough add them to the
cooked rice and mix well. Adjust salt as per taste. garnish it with chopped
coriander and serve hot with curd/pickle/chutney.