A warm feeling of auspiciousness and uniqueness surround me whenever I make this fragrant meal Vangi Bath / Bhaat which is South Indians favorite way of serving eggplants. It is because the rice has no onion, no garlic but the taste is just unbeatable. Be it a get together or a lunch party or any such occasion when you intend not to make onion-garlic as part of your food preparation, then surely vangi bath or puliyogare should strike your mind.
If you have vangi bath powder in store, then it is just matter of few minutes to stir up this flavorful, spicy rice. I usually prepare the powder from scratch and stock it in refrigerator and use as and when required. Vangi baath powder comes very handy and rescue me at times when I run out of time.
There are basically two methods of cooking this spicy rice a) using pressure cooker b) directly on stove top with cooked rice. Here I have briefed vangi bath preparation in pressure cooker. In alternate method I cook the rice first then prepare seasoning in which brinjal strips are cooked in tamarind, jaggery plus spice powder mix just like stir fry. Next step involves combining stir fry with cooked rice. You can note that hence prepared stir fry can be refrigerated for a day if made in large quantity.
Vangi baath can be served with cucumber raita or fryums and papads. I love to pair the spicy rice with cool and comforting cucumber raita as it balances the heat. Do make this combo in your next gathering and get accolades. 🙂
Vangi Bath | Vangi Bhaat | Brinjal Recipe
Ingredients
- Raw rice- 1 cup
- Long green brinjals- 3 nos.
- Vangi bath powder- 5 tsp
- Jaggery- 1 tsp
- Salt- 1 to 1.5 tsp
- Tamarind- Lemon sized
Seasoning ingredients
- Cooking oil- 5 tsp
- Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
- Split black gram lentils- 1 tsp
- Split chickpea lentils- 2 tsp
- Curry leaves- Few
- Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Instructions
Preparation
- Wash the long brinjals under running water, cut and discard the stalk. Chop them lenghtwise in to 1 inch pieces. Keep them immersed in water to avoid discoloration.
- Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup of water for about 10 minutes.
Method
- In a pressure cooker add oil, mustard seeds and lentils. Saute in medium flame till the mustard seeds start spluttering. Then add chopped green brinjals and turmeric powder. Saute for a while.
- Extract tamarind juice and discard the residue. Include this tamarind juice in the seasoning, then add jaggery and vangi bath powder. Combine everything well. Now add washed rice.
- Finally add 2 cups of water and salt. Close the lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles in medium flame. Switch off once done.
- As the pressure subcides fluff the vangi bath and serve with cucumber raita.
Notes
- I have used regular sona massori variety rice, you can use basmati rice too .Rice to water ratio remains 1:2.
- Cucumber raita goes very well with vangi bath, I recommend it.
- Alternatively you can cook rice first and then mix with seasoning as in step2.
