Vanghibath aka Brinjal Rice

Vanghibath aka brinjal rice recipe

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 kg
Brinjal - 3/4 kg, more brinjals will only improve the taste, cut length-wise into quarters and cover with water
Vanghibath masala powder - the whole amount, make it into a thick batter with water
Salt - 1-1/2 tablespoons
Tamarind extract - 1/2 cupful of thick extract
Lime juice - 2 tablespoons, fresh
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon sticks - 4 two-inch size
Black-gram dal - 1 tablespoon
Bengal-gram dal - 1 tablespoon
Onion - 1, big, finely chopped
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1/2 cup

Method: First cook the rice till just three-fourths boiled and keep aside. Heat a roomy vessel sufficiently large to hold both the boiled rice and the cooked brinjals. Pour the oil and ghee into it. When the oil-ghee mixture becomes very hot, add the cloves the cinnamon, and both dals. When the dals are lightly browned, add the onions. Fry till the onions turn limp but not brown and then add the wet brinjals. Turn over the brinjals thoroughly and sprinkle half cup of water over them. Cover with a lid to cook over moderate heat without removing the lid at all for the first 5 minutes. When the brinjals are three-fourths boiled, add the salt. After 2 minutes, pour in the vanghibath masala powder in the form of a thickish batter. Stir well, and when the brinjals mixture again turns dryish, pour in the tamarind extract. Allow to simmer till the masala sticks to the brinjals and there is no rim of watery juice showing. Now mix the boiled rice evenly with the brinjals on the heat. Sprinkle the lime juice also thoroughly into the mixture. Cover with a tight fitting lid and put on dhum for about 45 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Vanghibath aka brinjal rice