Name: Vangi Bath (Brinjal Rice)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 cup Cooked Rice, Sona Masoori or Basmati, cooled completely; 166 g Eggplant, purple/green tender brinjals, cut into long slices; 1⅔ tbsp Vangi Bath Masala, store-bought or homemade special spice blend; 1⅓ tbsp Tamarind Extract, thick pulp; ⅔ tsp Jaggery, crushed; ⅔ tsp Mustard Seeds; ⅔ tsp Split Bengal Gram; ⅔ tsp Split Black Gram (Skinless); 1⅓ tbsp Cashews, or groundnuts, for crunch; 1⅓ Dried Red Chili Peppers, broken; 8 Curry Leaves; ⅛ tsp Asafoetida; ⅛ tsp Ground Turmeric; ⅔ tsp Salt, to taste; 2 tbsp Cooking Oil, generous oil is needed; 1⅓ tbsp Fresh Coconut, grated, for garnish

50 mintotal

35 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

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Method

Commandeer a substantial, heavy-gauge kadhai or wide pan and bring a generous volume of oil to temperature over a controlled medium heat.
Make the tempering: add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Follow with the chana dal, urad dal and the nuts. Keep frying until they turn crisp and golden brown.
Add the broken dried red chillies, fresh curry leaves and a good pinch of asafoetida. Flash-sauté for a few seconds to release the aroma.
Drain the brinjal wedges well from their salted water and add them to the hot fat. Season straight away with turmeric and salt.
Stir-fry over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. The aubergine should turn tender with a little blistering on the surface, without collapsing into mush.
5–6 min
Introduce the highly concentrated tamarind extract, crushed jaggery, and the hyper-specific Vangi Bath Masala. Fold with precision to enrobe the tenderized brinjals in the aggressive flavor paste.
Throttle the heat to its lowest parameter. Braise the assembly for 2-3 minutes, mandating the eradication of the tamarind's raw edge and observing the explicit separation of seasoned oil from the masala base.
2–3 min
Add the cold cooked rice to the pan.
Using a wide, flat spatula, toss it through carefully. Work steadily but gently until every grain is coated in the dark, heavily spiced aubergine masala.
Cover the pan and leave it on the lowest heat for exactly 2 minutes so the flavours settle in. Scatter over freshly grated coconut before serving.
2 min

How to tell it's done

Separate, firm grains of rice stained through with a tangy, spicy masala, against silky-soft aubergine and the crunch of fried lentils.

Getting it right

Tip

Vangi bath gets its flavour from vangi bath masala, a roasted mix of coriander, urad dal, cinnamon and cloves. Ordinary garam masala makes it taste like a different dish.

What to serve it with

Strongly aromatic, and it carries well. Serve it with chilled curd, a papad, or crisp sandige (rice fryums). It suits a lunchbox too.

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Ingredients