Vangi bhath recipe or brinjal rice recipe – I love anything with vangi (kathirikai or brinjal) in it. Roasted, grilled, fried, sautéed, curried, you name it! I don’t remember liking kathirikai so much as a kid but now, I pick it up every week during vegetable shopping. In Singapore, the more common variety is the longer purple ones that are called Japanese brinjal. The good part is, they usually don’t have worms or bugs in it and stay fresh in the fridge for a longer time. They also don’t have the bitterness that sometimes the fat purple eggplants have.
But I really couldn’t resist these smaller eggplants when I came across them in the Indian store.. I got it from the local Malayali store and immediately made vangi bhath with it, a South Indian rice recipe with brinjal, rice, and spices.
Cube the brinjal and dunk them into the tamarind juiceThe basic recipe is from Chandra Padmanabhan’s Southern Spice, a book that I turn to so much for anything South Indian. Don’t be deterred by the long list of ingredients to make Vangi Bath, it’s just a bit detailed because I have given very clear instructions to prepare it.
If you love eggplant or brinjal as much as we do, I highly recommend this szechuan egglant recipe, ennai kathirikkai kuzhambu, brinjal vindaloo which is my mom’s specialty, and this easy eggplant chutney recipe. More spicy rice dishes? Browse through all South Indian rice recipes and pick your favourite.
Vangi Bhath Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice I used ponni rice but basmati will work too
- A marble-sized ball of tamarind
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 6 small aubergines / eggplant / kathirikai
- For Spice Powder:
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 " stick cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 4 dry red chillies more for spicier version
- 3 tsp Bengal gram / chana dal / kadala paruppu
- 2 tsp urad dal / ulatham paruppu / uzhunnu parippu
- 1 tbsp grated coconut fresh or frozen works
For Tempering:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds / jeera / jeerakam
- 1/2 tsp asafoetida / hing / perungayam
- 1 dry red chilli torn into pieces
- 1 sprig curry leaves
For Garnish (Optional)
- 2 tsp ghee
- 1/4 cup halved cashew nuts
Instructions
- Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water for 10 mins and extract juice. Add salt and turmeric to this and transfer to a pan.
- Cube the vangi and add to the tamarind juice and let soak for 15 mins.
- Heat oil for spice powder in a pan and add remaining ingredients for spice powder. Fry till spices are fragrant and the dals turn golden brown. Cool and grind to a powder.
- Heat ghee for garnish in the same pan (if using) and fry cashew nuts until golden brown. Set aside.
- Heat oil for tempering in the same pan and add all the ingredients for tempering. When mustard seeds start popping, add the aubergines with the tamarind extract.
- Cover pan and simmer for about 10 mins till the aubergines are tender and water is almost completely adsorbed.
- Mix in the cooked rice and spice powder and remove from fire.
- Garnish with the fried cashew nuts and serve warm with raita.
This is such a good recipe! I made it for the first time today and it turned out perfect. Thanks so much!!
Anon – thank you so much for leaving a note after trying 🙂 makes me feel so happy it was useful! Leave your name next time na 🙂
just tried your recipe. Loved it.. finished one plate 🙂
hey! Seriously very good 🙂 I like the fact that the recipe has less masala(garam). Will try this recipe sometime this week! Super!
I am probably like u anything brinjal, i swallow it! The rice looks fabulous! Happy Ugadi!
I eat brinjals only in baigan bharta but your pic is so tempting that I can try it!!
Loks fabulous, love vaangi bath.
Used to love vangi bhath made the Maharashtrian way with the unique tasting masala powder – thanks for reminding me with these superb pics!
I love Eggplants and like you said.. anything with it.. hmmm mouthwatering recipe and esp…those pics that made me crave for your plate of vangi bhat :).
Was looking for a vaangi bhath recipe for Ugadi 🙂