Vaangi Baath / Brinjal Rice / South Indian Style Eggplant Rice

Vaangi Baath is a eggplant rice from Karnataka, a state in India. Vaangi baath is prepared with rice, eggplants and a flavorful spice powder mix. Everyone has their own secret for making vaangi baath spice powder mix. I used to get ready made mix for vaangi baath while I was in FL. It was sooper dooper easy, just add steamed rice, brinjals and cook it along with spice mix.

Recently I learnt making spice mix for vaangi baath at home, and I must say it is better than the store bought ones. I grind this spice mix and put it in freezer. Whenever I crave for eggplant rice or whenever I making one pot meal, I just add this spice mix to the rice and I have a flavourful, delicious rice ready in just few minutes.

Typically, vangi baath is made with steamed rice. Steamed rice is mixed with brinjals cooked in spice mix. But I make vaangi baath  in pressure cooker. I just fry everything and then add soaked rice to the pressure cooker and cook it along with brinjals for 2 whistles. Easy right ! Yes, everything done in one pot.

Ingredients

For the Spice Mix

• 3 Red Chillies
• 1 Inch Cinnamon Stick
• 2 Cloves
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds
• 1/2 Teaspoon Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Channa Dal
• 1 Teaspoon Urad Dal
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
• 2 Tablespoons dry Coconut
• 1 Teaspoon Khas khas / kus kus / poppy seeds

For the Rice

• 1 Cup Raw rice soaked in tap water for 20 minutes
• 8 baby brinjals / small sized brinjals
• 2 Tablespoon sesame seeds Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
• 1 Teaspoon Channa Dal
• 1 Teaspoon Urad Dal
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black pepper corns
• 2 Tablespoon ground nuts
• 5 Curry Leaves
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1/4 Cup Tamarind Extract (optional)

Directions

Prepare vaangi baath spice mix :

1. In a frying pan, dry roast red chillies, cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds and coriander seeds on 'low' flame until the coriander seeds are light brown and cumin seeds splutter

2. Transfer the roasted content to a spice jar and set aside. In the same pan, add 1/2 Teaspoon Oil. Add channa dal, urad dal and fry until the dal is golden. Transfer the content to the spice jar
3. In the same pan, add kus kus, sesame seeds, dry coconut slices and fry nicely until sesame seeds splutter and coconut flakes change color
4. Transfer this content to the spice jar
5. Let the content of spice jar cool completely. Grind it to fine dry powder without adding water
6. Spice mix for vaangi baath is ready. Store it in zip lock pouch in the freezer and use it when ever you are making vaangi baath

Prepare the rice :

1. In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tablespoon sesame seed oil
2. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When they splutter , add fenugreek seeds, channa dal, urad dal, black pepper corns and fry until they are golden
3 Add curry leaves and fry for few seconds until curry leaves are crispy
4. Add ground nuts and fry for 2 minutes
5. Now add 2 tablespoons of vaangi baath spice mix we prepared along with red chilli powder, turmeric powder and fry for 2 minutes
6. Add brinjals and fry for few minutes until brinjals starts having nice char on the skin
7. Now soaked rice along with salt to taste and 1 and 1/2 cups of water
8. Cook on high flame for 1 whistle
9. After the first whistle, reduce the flame to the lowest setting and cook for 10 minutes or for 1 more whistle on the lowest flame
10. Vaangi baath is ready to be served. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and serve a