Brinjal (Eggplant) Rice | Kathirikkai Sadham

Brinjal rice - prepared with roasted brinjals and flavoured with an aromatic spice powder. Rice varieties such as lemon rice, tamarind rice or mango rice have been popular for lunch box dishes because of their less time preparation and long time shelf life. This brinjal rice is also one among them. The rice is precooked in a pressure cooker and it’s mixed with the roasted brinjals and spice powders. In my opinion, the taste of this brinjal rice is very similar to the tamarind rice, but the ingredients may vary a little bit. If you feel it’s difficult to prepare the spice powder, plan it a day before and it will take less than 15 minutes to mix the rice. Many people do not have time to prepare and therefore prefer ready mix powders for these kind of rice varieties but it is not healthy. In ready mix spice powders they are adding attractive colours and preservatives which are allergic to us. All the ingredients are easily available in our pantry and you can prepare it if you plan ahead.

During my college days, I saw this recipe on a TV cookery show prepared by the Chef. Mallika Badrinath. I took the notes in my recipe diary and prepared this rice many times and it is a favourite lunch box dish for my husband and my son. For this brinjal rice, I prefer green colour brinjals which helps to cook easily with less oil. If you do not have green brinjals, you can use any varieties as you have it. You can use basmati rice, raw rice or regular ponni rice. As I said in my brinjal fry dish, the brinjals must be cooked with frequent turns for 7 to 10 minutes. A little patience is required for these kind of rice dishes to achieve perfect results. The spice powder used for rice was freshly roasted ingredients ( chana dal, coriander seeds, urid dal, fenugreek, cinnamon, red chillies and coconut). Now we will see the Brinjal rice recipe in detail.

Check out my other rice varieties

• Coconut rice
• Tamarind rice
• Lemon rice
• Tomato rice
• Raw Mango rice
• Amla rice

Brinjal (Eggplant) Rice Kathirikkai Sadham Recipe

Prep time : 15 minutes
Cook time : 20 minutes
Serves : 4
Category : rice varieties
Author : Muthulakshmi Madhavakrishnan

Ingredients

• 1 cup (225 grams) rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 big green brinjal or 6 medium brinjal
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp urid dal
• 8 split cashew nuts
• 1 tsp asafoetdia powder
• few curry leaves
• 1 medium lemon
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 4 tbsp groundnut oil
• salt to taste

For brinjal rice powder

• 1 tbsp chana dal
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp urid dal
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek
• 6 dried red chilly
• small piece cinnamon
• 3 tbsp coconut

Cooking Directions

1. Take a bowl and add 1 cup rice. Wash it in the water for 3 times and soak the rice with 1 cup of water for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the soaked rice along with the water in a pressure cooker and add remaining 1 cup of water. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles.
2. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a frying pan and add the cinnamon, chana dal, coriander seeds, urid dal, fenugreek and red chillies. Roast the spices on medium heat until it turns golden brown and add the grated coconuts. Roast until the coconut gratings become dry.
3. Add these roasted ingredients in a small mixer jar and powder it nicely.
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed kadai for 2 to 3 minutes and the brinjals. Saute the brinjals on  medium heat. Repeat the process for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Open the pressure cooker and transfer the rice to a wide plate or vessel and swirl 2 tbsp oil over the rice.
6. Heat ghee and oil in another kadai and add the mustard, urid dal and cashew nuts. Allow them to turn golden brown and add the curry leaves and asafoetdia powder. Stir them quickly as it turns black.
7. Next, add the cooked rice and reduce heat to low. Mix them well.
8. Add the roasted brinjals and required salt to the rice and mix them gently.
9. Now add the turmeric powder and brinjal rice powder. Mix them well with the rice and check for the seasonings. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Mix them until the rice is fully incorporated with the spice powder. Close it with the lid for 10 to 15 minutes.

Brinjal (Eggplant) Rice Kathirikkai Sadham with step by step photos

Take a bowl and add 1 cup rice. Wash it in the water for 3 times and soak the rice with 1 cup of water for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the soaked rice along with the water in a pressure cooker and add remaining 1 cup of water. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles. Allow the pressure to settle down naturally.

Wash the brinjals and remove the stem. Cut the brinjal in half lengthwise and cut each half into halves lengthwise. Add these brinjals in a vessel filled with salted water.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a frying pan and add the cinnamon, chana dal, coriander seeds, urid dal, fenugreek and red chillies.

Roast the spices on medium heat until it turns golden brown and add the grated coconuts. Roast until the coconut gratings becomes dry. Allow them to cool down.

Add these roasted ingredients in a small mixer jar and powder it nicely. Scrape the sides and powder them well.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed kadai for 2 to 3 minutes and the brinjals. Saute the brinjals on  medium heat. Turn them frequently with a ladle. Repeat the process for 10 to 12 minutes.

Open the pressure cooker and transfer the rice to a wide plate or vessel and swirl 2 tbsp oil over the rice.

Heat ghee and oil in another kadai and add the mustard, urid dal and cashew nuts.

Allow them to turn golden brown and add the curry leaves and asafoetdia powder. Stir them quickly as it turns black.

Next, add the cooked rice and reduce heat to low. Mix them well.

Add the roasted brinjals and required salt to the rice and mix them gently.

Now add the turmeric powder and brinjal rice powder. Mix them well with the rice and check for the seasonings.

Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Mix them until the rice is fully incorporated with the spice powder. Close it with the lid for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve it with any vegetable poriyal or applam and vathal.