Brinji

Brinji

Brinji, a special kind of rice dish which is very popular in TamilNadu,  made during weddings and special occasions.  Basically its a mixed vegetable pulao kind of dish…. where rice is cooked in thick coconut milk base with loads of veggies and  flavoured with special spices. I think, as the dish uses bay leaf as the main flavoring item, it is called Brinji Rice. To prepare this dish, I used ordinary raw rice and for seasoning I used vanaspati (traditionally called as ‘dalda’). As this dish needs more oil, it can be cooked once in a while.

Preparation Time: 15min

Cooking Time: 12 min 

Serves:2  

Shelf life:1day 
Serving Suggestion:Serve with any kurma, pachadi and papad. I prepared soya chunk kurma with this. 



Ingredients

• Rice – 4 cups
• Brinjal (eggplant) – 2 no
• Onion – 2 no
• Tomato – 2 no
• Potato – 2 no
• Carrot – 1 no
• Ginger – 2 inch long piece
• Garlic – 8 to 10 cloves
• Green chilli – 6 to 8 no
• Lemon – ½ piece
• Turmeric powder – ½ tea spoon
• Coconut Milk - From 1/4 the coconut
• Salt – as per taste
• For Seasoning
  • Cinnamon stick – 1½ inch long
  • Cloves – 4 no
  • Bay leaf – 2 to 3 no
  • Dalda/vanaspati/ghee/oil – 50 gm

  Method

  
  
• Soak rice for 20 to 30 minutes; finely chop all vegetables.

• In a pressure cooker, take vanaspati and heat; add seasonings, fry well; add chopped garlic, green chilli, ginger and fry for few seconds; add onion, fry till transparent then add tomato and fry till soft; add turmeric powder mix well; add other cut vegetables and fry for 2 minutes.

• Add soaked rice after draining, fry gently all together for 3 to 4 minutes in low flame; add salt, 6 cups of water and 2 cups of coconut milk(2 cups water for one cup rice), lemon juice and mix well; close the pressure cooker with the lid and when steam comes out continuously, put the weight and keep in low flame for 5 minutes or one whistle; allow it to cool, then open and stir gently.

• Aromatic Brinji Rice is ready.