Vangi Bath is a popular rice recipe from Karnataka and Maharashtrian cuisine prepared using eggplant and aromatic spice mix. You can make this dish in less than 15 minutes if you have any leftover rice.
What is Vangi Bath?
In vangi bath, vangi means eggplant, brinjal, or aubergine, and bath (bath) means cooking together. A unique spice mix called vangi bath powder makes eggplant rice. You can make vangi bath powder at home or use store-bought ones. This eggplant rice recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free; you can easily make it nut-free.
South Indian rice like this is a good lunchbox or tiffin box recipe. People also pack this to eat during long bus or train rides. If you like this brinjal rice recipe, check out our lemon rice (chitranna), Karnataka-style bisi bele bath, coconut rice, tamarind rice or puliyogare, bisi bele bath, and mosaranna (curd rice).
Ingredients
Rice: Any long-grain rice like basmati or aromatic rice like sona masuri, or jeera can be used. You can even use brown rice, quinoa, or millet for health reasons. See that rice is cooked al dente. Leftover rice also works best for this recipe.
Eggplant: In India, long green eggplants traditionally make vangi baths. But you can use any baingan, aubergine, or purple eggplant that is easily available to you.
Tempering: We prefer coconut oil. Use any cooking oil of your choice, along with mustard seeds and dry red chilies.
Curry leaves: Key ingredient in south Indian dishes that gives a nice aroma to the dish.
Cashew nuts or peanuts: Roasted peanuts or cashew nuts add more flavor and crunchiness to your rice.
Vangi bath powder mix: Coriander seeds, urad dal, chana dal, red chilies, cumin seeds, methi, and cloves are used.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-step instructions
How to make Vangi Bath powder?
- In a small pan or kadai, dry roast the coriander seeds on medium flame until crisp and aromatic. Transfer this to a plate.
- Add urad dal and chana dal to the same pan and saute on medium flame. Halfway through, add red chilies and saute until the dal becomes light golden and aromatic. Finally, add cumin seeds, methi seeds, and cloves and saute on low flame until fragrant.
- Let all these dry ingredients cool down completely.
- Add them to the grinder or mixer and blend them to smooth powder.
- Your vangi bath masala powder is ready.
Cook rice or use leftover rice
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear, and cook it according to the package instructions. The rice should be done in 12 to 15 minutes. Let the rice be fluffy. I suggest adding some salt while cooking.
- Use any rice of your choice. Long-grain basmati, jeera, or sona masuri tastes the best. Allow this rice to cool completely.
- If using leftover rice, use 3 cups of cooked rice for this recipe.
How to make vangi bath or eggplant rice?
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add mustard seeds, crush, and add the dry red chile.
- When the mustard seeds splutter, add cashews and curry leaves and saute until they become light brown.
- Add chopped onions, green chile, a pinch of salt, and turmeric powder, and saute till the onions turn translucent.
- Next, add eggplant, cover it with the lid, and cook them on medium flame by sauteing it occasionally.
- Add tomato and salt and mix well once the eggplant is 90 % cooked (soft and tender).
- Add store-bought or freshly homemade vangi bath powder and cook for 2 minutes till you get a nice aroma. (Do not add all the vangi powder at once. If you like it mild, use less powder, and for a stronger flavor, add more powder. The leftover powder can be stored in the freezer and used when required.)
- Finally, add in cooked rice and toss till everything is combined.
- Serve vangi bath with finely chopped onions, grated coconut flakes, and some raita, and enjoy.
Tips and substitutions
- Add some urad dal and channa dal for tempering if you love the crunchy texture.
- I have added tomatoes. Traditionally tamarind pulp is added to the recipe. Just soak the tamarind in hot water and use it instead of tomatoes. If adding lemon juice, add it along with rice and toss.
- To make it nut free, skip cashews or peanuts.
- For additional flavor, you can also add asafoetida (hing).
- You can add coriander leaves or cilantro if curry leaves is unavailable.
- You can make this eggplant rice using brown rice too. Just substitute rice with brown basmati rice.
- If using vangi bath powder from mtr, maiyas, or your preferred brand, you may have to increase or decrease the amount in a recipe as each brand has a different flavor.
Store and Make ahead instructions
- You can make the vangi bath powder and store it in a refrigerator for more than a month.
- Use leftover rice or cook the rice and keep it in the refrigerator the previous day. Fluffy rice works best for this recipe.
- If there are any leftovers, store them in a refrigerator conatiner for 2 to 3 days without the garnish. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave with a water splash until heated.
Recipe FAQs
To make this eggplant rice, use purple or green eggplant that is easily available to you. You can chop and soak them in salted water until you are ready to use to avoid discoloration and remove bitterness.
Eggplant is a key ingredient in vangi bath, but if you do not like it, use vegetables like capsicum, mushroom, or zucchini to make this dish.
More South Indian Rice Recipes
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Recipe card
Vangi Bath | Eggplant Rice
Equipment
- Pot or Pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice
- 1 tablespoon Coconut oil or Vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 Dry red chile
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 3 to 4 tablespoon Cashews or peanuts chopped
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 1 Green chile, chopped
- 1 Eggplant, medium-sized (2 ½ to 3 cups approx)
- 1 Tomato, chopped (or use ½ tablespoon tamarind paste or lemon juice)
- 2 tablespoon Vangi bath powder
- Turmeric powder, pinch
- Salt, to taste
- Coriander leaves, onion, or grated coconut, for garnish
Vangi bath powder
- 2 tablespoon Coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon Urad dal
- 1 tablespoon Chana dal
- 3 Dry red chilies
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Methi or fenugreek seed
- 2 Cloves
Instructions
How to make Vangi Bath powder?
- In a small pan or kadai, dry roast the coriander seeds on medium flame until crisp and aromatic. Transfer this to a plate.2 tablespoon Coriander seeds
- Add urad dal and chana dal to the same pan and saute on medium flame. Halfway through, add red chilies and saute until the dal becomes light golden and aromatic. Finally, add cumin seeds, methi seeds, and cloves and saute on low flame until fragrant.1 tablespoon Urad dal, 1 tablespoon Chana dal, 3 Dry red chilies, 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon Methi or fenugreek seed, 2 Cloves
- Let all these dry ingredients cool down completely.
- Add them to the grinder or mixer and blend them to smooth powder.
- Your vangi bath masala powder is ready.
Cook rice or use leftover rice
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear, and cook it according to the package instructions. The rice should be done in 12 to 15 minutes. Let the rice be fluffy. I suggest adding some salt while cooking.1 cup Rice
- Use any rice of your choice. Long-grain basmati, jeera, or sona masuri tastes the best. Allow this rice to cool completely.
- If using leftover rice, use 3 cups of cooked rice for this recipe.
How to make vangi bath or eggplant rice?
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add mustard seeds, crush, and add the dry red chile.1 teaspoon Mustard seeds, 1 Dry red chile, 1 tablespoon Coconut oil or Vegetable oil
- When the mustard seeds splutter, add cashews and curry leaves and saute until they become light brown.1 sprig Curry leaves, 3 to 4 tablespoon Cashews or peanuts chopped
- Add chopped onions, green chile, a pinch of salt, and turmeric powder, and saute till the onions turn translucent.1 Onion, chopped, Turmeric powder, pinch, 1 Green chile, chopped
- Next, add eggplant, cover it with the lid, and cook them on medium flame by sauteing it occasionally.1 Eggplant, medium-sized (2 ½ to 3 cups approx)
- Add tomato and salt and mix well once the eggplant is 90 % cooked (soft and tender).1 Tomato, chopped, Salt, to taste
- Add store-bought or freshly homemade vangi bath powder and cook for 2 minutes till you get a nice aroma. (Do not add all the vangi powder at once. If you like it mild, use less powder, and for a stronger flavor, add more powder. The leftover powder can be stored in the freezer and used when required.)2 tablespoon Vangi bath powder
- Finally, add in cooked rice and toss till everything is combined.
- Serve vangi bath with finely chopped onions, grated coconut flakes, and some raita, and enjoy.Coriander leaves, onion, or grated coconut, for garnish
Notes
-
- Add some urad dal and channa dal for tempering if you love the crunchy texture.
- I have added tomatoes. Traditionally tamarind pulp is added to the recipe. Just soak the tamarind in hot water and use it instead of tomatoes. If adding lemon juice, add it along with rice and toss.
- To make it nut free, skip cashews or peanuts.
- For additional flavor, you can also add asafoetida (hing).
- You can add coriander leaves or cilantro if curry leaves is unavailable.
- You can make this eggplant rice using brown rice too. Just substitute rice with brown basmati rice.
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