Vangi bath/ Brinjal rice/Eggplant rice/ Riz Aubergiene

Vangi bath is a speciality of karnataka. This is also served at breakfast time at many darshinis or food joints in karnataka. It is usually some thick gravy (also known as gojju in Kannada) made with brinjal, then mixed along with white rice. Some people prefer to cook the gravy and rice together. It has many varieties and versions. I usually love to prepare the gojju , then mix it with the rice. Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Channa dal - 1tbsp
Groundnuts - 2 tbsp
Cashew nut - 6-7 nos
Dry red chillies - 2 nos
Onion - 2 nos
Brinjal - 1 kilo
Carrots - 1 nos
Beans - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Dry coconut or kopra - 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 1 tsp
Tamarind juice - 1 tbsp
Cooked rice - 1 kilo
Oil for cooking
Salt for taste

For the vangi bath powder:
Dry red chillies - 8-10 nos
Coriander seeds - 1/4 cup
Cloves - 6 nos
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Bengal gram - 1/4 cup
Fenugreek seed - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - one pinch
Curry leaves of 2 sprigs
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:
Fry all the ingredients for the vangi bath masala in 1 tbsp ghee, cool and powder them. Cut all veggies lengthwise (brinjal can be diced into cubes). Shallow fry these veggies in oil along with turmeric powder. In a wok, heat oil, fry mustard seed, channa dal, groundnuts, cashew nuts and red chillies. Add onion and fry till golden. Add chilly powder, shallow fried veggies like carrot, beans, brinjal and vangibath powder, mix well. Add fried dry coconut or kopra, jaggery and tamarind juice, salt for taste and simmer to make a thick gravy or gojju. Mix with cooked rice and serve with boondi or raitha etc.

Note:
The vangibath powder can be prepared in large quantity and can be stored in airtight containers for later use. Can use readymade vangibath mix powder if it is available.