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

Vanghibath masala powder

We make vanghibath aka brinjal rice powder a day before well in advance as we find it irksome to fry and pound the ingredients the same day we make the brinjal rice. It is easier that way. The vanghibath powder retains its flavor and aroma even for 2 months if kept in a dry air-tight container.

Here is how we prepare the vanghibath masala powder.

Vanghibath masala powder recipe
(Masala powder sufficient for 1 kilogram rice and approx. 3/4 kg of brinjals)

Ingredients:
Bengal gram dal - 2 tablespoons
Black gram dal - 3 tablespoons
Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
Cloves - 10
Cinnamon sticks - 10, 2-inch long
Copra (dried coconut) - 1/2 kernel
Dry red chillies - 20, approx. 3-inch long
Salt - 1-1/2 teaspoons
Ghee/oil - 2 tablespoons

Method: In very hot ghee or oil, fry separately the bengal gram dal and black gram dal to a light brown color. Next in the same ghee or oil, fry separately the red chillies, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to a reddish brown color. Fry the coriander seeds till they just become hot to the touch and remove from the heat. Scrape the copra to shreds and fry over low heat till just crisp. If you like, you may use fresh coconut scrapings instead of the copra. Fry the fresh coconut scrapings over low heat till they become dry and crisp.

Grind the fried ingredients all together except the fried coconut to a coarse powder. Add the salt to the coconut and grind it separately to powder. Mix it all together and store it in an air-tight container or screw-capped bottle.

Traditional Indian Home Cooking Recipe: Vaghibath masala powder