Vangibath
Karnataka eggplant rice with vangi-bath masala, the weekend brunch of Bengaluru. The centrepiece format: spiced rice that needs nothing else on the table. A bowl of plain yogurt and pickled onions is all it wants.
Ingredients
- Ginger Garlic Paste1 tbsp
- Saltto taste
- Onion1, thinly sliced
- Green Chili2, slit
- Ghee2 tbsp
- Turmeric Powder1/2 tsp
- Whole Garam Masala Spices2 tsp
- Rice3/4 cup
- Curry Leaves2 sprigs
- Peanuts1/2 cup, roasted
- Eggplant2 medium (300 g), cubed
Optional extras
- Fresh Cilantro2 tbsp, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Soak the rice for 20 minutes, then drain thoroughly — wet rice turns mushy.
- 2
Heat ghee in a wide, heavy pot; fry the whole spices — bay, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves — till they swell and smell like a spice box.
- 3
Brown the onions properly, stir in ginger garlic paste, then bloom the powdered spices in the fat.
- 4
Tumble in the eggplant, let it soften in the masala, then add the rice and toast it for two minutes, stirring.
- 5
Add salt and hot water, boil, then cover with a tight lid and a tawa underneath to stop scorching; steam till done and rest before serving.
Chef's tip
Never stir the pot once the lid goes on; that is how rice turns to paste.
/dish/30715