The delicious Vangi bath

For all those Brinjal /egg plant lovers - the delicious Vangi bath (brinjal rice)

The simplest way is to use MTR Vangi bath powder on cooked brinjal and mix with steamed rice.

To make it freshly at home we need to prepare the Vangi bath powder first. It requires,

2 tsp corainder seeds

1 tsp Urad dhal

1 tsp channa dhal

6 red chillies

1 inch cinnamon

1 cardomam

5 cloves

less than 1/2 tsp fenugreek

1/2 cumin seeds

less than 1/2 tsp peppercorn

Heat a spoon of oil and fry the above. Allow it to cool and make it into a fine dry powder. Folks having trouble with their mixer like i do, can add little water and make it into a thick paste. The advantage of making a powder is you can re-use it later and it stays longer than the paste.

Vangi bath is best made with the long green brinjal , but any brinjal/egg plant also tastes good.

Long brinjal - 5 (or) 1 big Egg plant, cut into small cubes

1 cup of rice to cook

2 tsp of Ghee or oil

Mustard seeds, Urad dhal, 3 Red chillies, Asafoetida (Hing)

Salt to taste and turmeric powder.

50ml of tamarind juice. (adding this is said to remove any kind of bitterness from the brinjal)

Roasted Copra (dry coconut powder)

Some curry leaves, cashew nuts and coriander leaves to garnish.

• Cook 1 cup of rice and keep aside.
• Heat oil or ghee in a pan and fry mustard seeds, urad dhal and red chillies. Sprinkle some Asafoetida powder on top.
• Add the cut pieces of brinjal and the tamarind juice, salt to taste and a pinch of turmeric powder on top and cook till the brinjal is done.
• Bring the flame to a minimum/low & add the roasted copra and the vangi bath powder/paste. Let it stay on low flame for a couple of minutes before you turn it off.
• Once the brinjal and the powder are finely mixed, add the cooked rice and mix again.
• Roast some cashew nuts and coriander leaves and add on top of the rice and serve hot. Garnish with freshly cut coriander leaves.

Kannadigas say this is best had with a coconut chutney, but i prefer having it with a cool cucumber raita.