Vangi Bath Recipe / Brinjal rice

Vaangi Bath / How to make Vangi bath

Vangi Bath is a popular dish from South India especially in Karnataka. This is a delicious one pot meal. It is spicy and tangy with the soft brinjals and the dals that make the dish nutty. The spices that go in this dish are very common yet give out a unique taste with the rice.

For the past few days, I could not go for my regular veggie shopping. Hence, I requested my dear hubby to get some veggies. His favourite being eggplant, he brought one kg of them. I was rather confused seeing them in one go, but immediately made up my mind to prepare Vangi Bath with half of them.

I believe that for any given dish there are many versions of preparing it. Each one has his or her own method of preparing - be it the ingredients, the method of cooking or the way it is presented. I generally twist or tweak the recipe to my family's tastes and go with it. I do not follow any recipe or the method to the core.

So here's my recipe for vangi bath - simple, easy and of course very flavorful.

Preparation :

Cook rice in sufficient water and transfer to a wide plate or a basin such that rice becomes grainy and does not stick. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and 1 tbsp. oil on the hot rice and allow to cool.

Meanwhile lets prepare the eggplant curry. I have taken 4 medium eggplants, which is almost like 1/2 kg. The recipe asks to chop the brinjals vertically like slits. But my family doesn't like it that way, so I chopped them to bite sized pieces. This would be easier for the kids to eat as well. Chop them as you wish and put those pieces in salted water until you cook them.

This is done for the pieces to remain fresh and not become black. Check for any bugs and discard if any.

Get the spices ready and fry them until you get a nice aroma and transfer to another plate.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.

When they splutter, add channa dal and fry until it changes to a light colour. Now add urad dal and fry until the dals change their colour to golden brown.

Add sliced onions and red chillies. Mix well and fry till onions become transparent.

Add turmeric powder. Strain the water from the cut eggplants and add them to the curry.

 

Add salt, sugar, ginger garlic paste and mix well.

Cover with lid and cook until the eggplants turn soft. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile soak tamarind in water.

Grind the roasted spices to a fine powder.

When the brinjals are done, add the ground spice powder and mix well. Take care not to break the eggplants.

Add tamarind juice and chilli powder and mix everything well.

Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the raw smell of tamarind disappears. Switch off the flame and add this curry to the cooled rice.

Mix everything well. Slowly and gently, taking care not to break the eggplants and the rice grains.

Serve hot. This can be served as it is without any sides. But if you wish, you can eat with papads, chips or plain curd. Mudda pappu is also a great combo for this dish. I have served with mudda pappu, papads and plain curd. This is indeed a yummy one pot meal.

Ingredients :

Eggplants 1/2 kg or 4 in number ( medium sized )

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Channa dal 1 tbsp.

Urad dal 1 tbsp.

Oil 3 tbsp.

Onion 1 medium or big - sliced

Red chillies 2

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Sugar 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp

Tamarind 1 big lemon sized

Chilli powder 2 tsp

Coriander leaves 3 tbsp.-finely chopped

Rice 1.5 cups

Spices

Cloves 5

Elaichi 2

Dalchin 2 1" pieces

Black pepper corns 16

Dhaniya ( coriander seeds )

Cumin seeds

Red chillies 2

Method

1. Cook rice and transfer to a wide basin so that the rice becomes grainy and doesn't stick. Put chopped coriander leaves and 1 tbsp. oil on this hot rice and keep aside.
2. Chop the eggplants and put them in salted water so that they don't turn black. Keep aside.
3. Dry roast all the spices until a nice aroma comes out. Keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter.
5. Add chann dal and fry until it changes colour slightly.
6. Add urad dal and fry till both the dals turn to golden brown colour.
7. Add sliced onions and red chillies. Saute until they are transparent.
8. Add turmeric powder and the chopped brinjals.
9. Put in salt, sugar and ginger garlic paste. Cook covered until the eggplants turn soft. Stir occasionally.
10. Meanwhile, soak tamarind in water and extract the juice. Grind the roasted spices.
11. Once the brinjals are soft, add the ground spice powder and mix well.
12. Add tamarind juice and chilli powder and mix well. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the raw smell of tamarind vanishes.
13. Remove from flame and add this curry to the cooled rice. Mix gently. Check for salt.
14. Serve hot with plain curd or papads or mudda pappu.

Notes

• Adding a few tablespoons of grated coconut will give a nice taste.
• Curry leaves can also be added.