Brinjal Rice / Vaangi Bath / Kathrikai Sadham

Brinjal Rice / Vaangi Baath is mostly liked by many people and a favourite mixed rice variety in our household. Our family love to have this rice with an excellent egg omelette and raita. There will be many ways to make this Brinjal Rice and each will have its own taste and speciality.

Ingredients

Sona Masoori Rice or Basmati Rice -  1.5 Cup

Brinjals - 6 Medium Size

Onion - 1 Medium Size

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp

Curry leaves ( if you have) - 1 stem

Jeera Seeds - 2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Asafoetida / Hing - 1 Dash

Salt - To Taste

For Grinding

Channa Dal / Kadalai Paruppu / Senaga Pappu - 4 tbsp

Coriander Seeds - 2 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Black Pepper - 1 tsp

Elachi  / Cardamom - 1

Cinnamon Stick  / Pattai - 1 medium size

Dry Red chilly - 2 medium

Khus Khus / Poppy Seeds - 1 tsp

Green Chilly - 1 medium size

Fresh Coconut or Dry Coconut Powder - 2 tbsp

Method

1. Before starting the process, cook 1.5 cups of basmati rice ( I prefer that ) or Sona Masoori Rice.
2. Simultaneously, on a thick bottomed kadai, fry all the ingredients for grinding slightly and let it cool for somtime.
3. Then, wash the brinjals and cut it into small pieces and also the onions.
4. After the mixture gets cooled, grind the mixture and keep the brinjal mix powder ready. 
5. On the same kadai, add 2 tbsp of oil . When the oil gets heated, add mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves, asafoetida into the oil.
6. When it sputters, add the ginger garlic paste and fry it till it raw smell completely goes off.
7. Add onions into the kadai, a pinch of salt and fry for 1-2 minutes.
8. Add turmeric powder into the kadai.
9. Add the brinjal pieces into the kadai and add little salt and fry it for 2 minutes. Then cover the kadai with a lid and let the brinjals get cooked completely with little water.
10. Check to see if the brinjals are cooked. If its done, slightly mash the brinjals and add the grounded powder into it.
11. Fry all the ingredients in the kadai with 2 more tbsp of Olive Oil.
12. Finally add the cooked rice into the brinjal mixture in the kadai. Mix the rice and brinjal mixture thoroughly. Add 1 more tbsp of salt after adding the rice. Mix it again so that brinjal mixture gets blended into the rice perfectly with salt.
13. Add more salt if  its required after the mixing is completely over.
14. Now, the brinjal rice is ready to serve with a raita or an omelette. Its a popular rice variety in many potluck parties.

Variations

You can increase / decrease the black pepper, red chilly powder, green chilly depending on your spicy taste.

Tips

Dont overcook the rice in this process which in turn decides the fate of Brinjal rice.