Vangi Bhaath (Rice with Eggplants) Recipe

Another great one dish wonder, the Vangi Bhaath recipe is a Eggplant lovers dream! The flavor of the fresh spices are just amazing. Easy and full filling enough to satisfy all the senses – visually very appealing, the aroma is just fabulous, the texture of the rice and the eggplant combination – GREAT and the flavor – yuuuumm, mm mmmm…

A great way to use and freshen up left-over rice. The flavors are so great, you won’t need anything to go with it but if you have to – try some yogurt or pickles! Finger-licking good…

Vangi Bhath Masala:
Cinnamon sticks – 1″ piece
Cloves – 5
Chana dal – 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds- 1 tbsp
Urad dal – 1 tbsp
Dry Red Chillies -to taste

1. Dry roast on low flame in a heavy bottomed skillet: Cinnamon Stick, Cloves and Channa Daal.
2. After a minute or 2, add in Coriander Seeds, Urad Daal and Red Chillies and roast till you get a color and aroma.
3. Keep stirring continuously and once done transfer to a plate or a bowl and allow it to cool down.
4. Once the spices have cooled down, grind to a fine powder and keep aside till ready to use.
5. Extra Masala can be stored in an airtight container for later use..

Rice:
Basmati Rice – 1 Cup
Water – 2 Cups
Salt – 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. We washed the Rice and soaked it for half an hour.
2. We used a Rice-cooker and cooked the rice along with the Salt.
3. Once done, remove the Rice from the cooker immediately and transfer to a plate and fluff the rice with a fork.
4. Keep aside to use later.
5. Make the Rice on the stove-top, microwave or used left-over rice for this application.

Balance Ingredients:
Eggplant/Brinjal – 1.5 lbs (3 long or 7 small round)
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Chana dal – 1 tbsp
Raw Peanuts – 2 tbsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Green Beans – 1/2 cup (1″ pc) – optional
Tamarind Pulp – 1/4 cup or soak a small lime sized tamarind in warm water for 15 mins and extract the juice
Vangi Bhaath Powder- 2 tsp or to taste
Dry Coconut Powder – 1 tbsp
Jaggery – 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Cilantro – for garnish

Method:
1. Wash and cut the eggplants into thin long pieces. Soak them in Cold water with a pinch of salt and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan.
3. Once hot, add Mustard Seeds and allow them to pop.
4. Add the Chana Daal and cook for a min.
5. Add the Raw Peanuts and allow the color of the daal and the Peanuts to change a bit.
6. Add in Turmeric Powder and Curry Leaves.
7. Add the Eggplants, Green beans(if using). Mix well so the Oil coats all the vegetables.
8. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat.
9. Cook till the Eggplants are done and keep stirring intermittently.
10. Add Jaggery, Tamarind, Salt, Jaggery, Vangi Bhaat Masala and Dry Coconut Powder.
11. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
12. Add in the Cooked Rice and mix it in gently and little at a time.
13. Once mixed in, cover and allow the rice to get heated all the way through.
14. Garnish with some Cilantro and serve hot.

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66 thoughts on “Vangi Bhaath (Rice with Eggplants) Recipe

  1. Hello Ladies

    Thank you for your wonderful website. I have made tons of dishes and they all turn out delicious!
    Every time I deviate away from your site just to try other chefs, I always end up coming back to you.
    I was only taught a few North Indian dishes by my mom and only after I got married. The rest I learnt everything else thanks to the power of Internet and you guys.

    I just finished making the Eggplant Rice and it turned out awesome! I didn’t have jaggery so I substituted Brown Sugar. And I soaked Chana Dal for a few minutes before adding to Eggplant but it was still too hard and crunchy. But overall it’s an A+.

    Thank you and many thanks to your sister-in-law and my husband thanks you too.
    Vanita

  2. Hi Hetal & Anuja,

    I followed this recipe and made minor alteration to the use of tamarind and jaggery. I had some tamarind date chutney sitting in the fridge for a while. I used 2 tbsp and it worked awesome. Just want to thank you both for sharing this recipe. Though I have been making Vangi bhaat with different spices and combinations all the time, i would say this is a keeper:)

  3. Hi Hetal,

    Thank you for the prompt reply. I am so glad my potluck is taken care of. Sorry for bothering you, had I searched well for the recepie, I could have saved some trouble!
    Will be careful next time

  4. Hello Ladies,
    I have used this recepie many times and it always comes out gr8. But recently I came to know that the vangis can be replaced by green bell peppers or methi leaves depending on availability.All the three versions taste equally good. I request you gals to try out as well!

    And now a request..could u pls post recepie for Mexican rice?

    Thanks n Regards,
    Gauri

  5. Hi Hetal,

    Can i use big size egg plant which we get in walmart for this recipe. Here where i live does not have indian store. please give me reply.

    Nisha.

    1. Hi Nisha,

      Yes, if you absolutely cannot find the small eggplants, you can use the big one. The texture is a little different but it will still work.

  6. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    I just love your site and have starting subscribing to it recently. Love the fact that you give out tips on everything and the rationale behind it. You guys complement each other quite well. The show is done very well with proper camera focus on the skillet at the right time.
    Please continue what you are doing. This not only enthuses me to cook but also makes me feel so effortless about it.

    Thanks a ton. Keep up the good work

    I cant but envy your families who get to eat such yummy stuff.

    Kiran.

    1. Hi Kiran,

      Thank you so much for the compliments! We’re so happy to hear that SMTC is useful and enjoyable to so many :).

  7. my god…. looks delicious and im gonne try tomorrow itself…thanq both for the wonderful show. its really nice to see the video n learn:)

  8. I really wanted to try this recipe today, i have all the ingredients except the Cinnamon sticks and i dont know where to find it.
    I am not indian but i really love indian food.

    1. Hi Oumou,
      Cinnamon Sticks are available at all grocery stores and not just Indian ones. You can also use Cinnamon Powder if you can’t get the sticks.

      1. Thank you for the quick answer.
        Then I will try to use the powder.
        Will tell you the outcome of my first self made indian dish.
        heheeee.

  9. You ladies are doing an awesome job. Good job by camera person – you get to see close-ups of the dish/pan just when you want to. (Sometimes on TV, they show the face of the chef more than the food- aarrghhh -show me what the food is supposed to look like at this stage!!!!)
    Love the extra little tips you mention.

  10. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    A quick question abt the spice grinder.I have been frantically searching for something to grind dry spices since I came to canada(gonna be a year soon) only after watching your video and reading comments I came to know that I can use coffee grinder. I am planning to buy a new one. Do you have any sugestions about the brands????

    Thank You

    1. Hi Fatima,

      Coffee grinders work great for dry spices. If you are going to use it only for dry spices (not wet grinding), any coffee grinder will work. We have a Braun. However, if you want to be able to do wet grinding, you may want to look for one with a removable cup so you can wash it.

  11. hi how are you hetal and Anuja i have a question the get cold you have ot put ziploc bags or bwols and it ok thanks hetal anuja

  12. hello ladies,
    Wonderful recipe…very happy to see my home food on your website.
    Thought of sharing few ideas with you both–

    Firstly, add urad dal for the seasoning whenever u make masalas for rice. urad dal gives superb taste.

    And the second most imp thing is you need to add bit more oil for sauteing [or cooking] the eggplant.so later when you mix the masala with rice, the Vangibath will not be dry.
    ** If you sprinkle water, the rice gets dried and form a hard layer on top.

  13. Hi Hetal and Anuja,
    Your Website has induced my interest in cooking. I love all your recipes and the detail that goes in them. Am sure the Vangi baath will turn out yummy too.

    I have a small suggestion for the vangi baath. Usually the combination of ground peanuts and sesame seeds add extra flavor to eggplants. I usually dry roast a tablespoon each of peanuts and sesame seeds and grind them to a fine powder. I add this powder to the vangi baath; trust me, the end product turns out yummy. Since you are open to experimenting and suggestions, thought I’d share it with you.

    Once again, thanks for this wonderful site:)

    ~Seema

  14. hi,
    very nice and flavorful recipe..

    can you tell me which brand spice grinder r u using and from where did you get that? and another question if you can reply i will be very happy..which brand would you recommend for the cookware set and also which kind like hard anodized or try play clay..or stainless steal or non stick?…ty in advance…

      1. Hi Sha,

        Our pan has caused quite a stir…lol. Unfortunately, the pan does not have a brand written on it :(. We purchased it from TJ Maxx because we loved the color. The spice grinder is actually a coffee grinder (Braun). It works great for dry spice grinding but I bought it years ago. If I were to buy one now, I’d look for one that has a removable container so that you can do wet grinding as well and be able to wash it.

    1. Sorry Patel,

      Missed your question. Farberware or Tools of the Trade make really good and affordable stainless steel cookware. Non-stick is a personal choice but many are leaning towards the enamaled cast iron pots. They are expensive but will last a lifetime and no worries about harmful fumes with non-stick.

  15. Hi,

    The vangibath looks very good. Whenever I do not have any time to make my own masala, I have used vangibath masala by MTR (available at most Indian grocery stores). That masala powder works well too, but nothing to compare against home-made masala.
    Regarding the rice cooker, and if your family uses rice frequently, then the induction heating rice cooker (with a non-stick vessel) by Zojirushi is a great investment. It is pricier than walmart/target rice cookers, but the rice never sticks to the bottom. I have left the rice in keep warm for 2 days and the rice stayed good (a tad bit drier the second day), but never had to deal with soaking the rice cooker to remove the bottom crust. They have many different rice cooking options. Something to take a look at 🙂

  16. hi guys
    i love vaangi bhaath,my mom makes it all the time.she adds potatoes n green bell peppers too.try it ,it will be yummy.

    happy holidays!!!!!

  17. Anuja and Hetal, Are desiccated coconut and shredded coconut are the same? And are we supposed to use coconut powder for this recipe?

    1. Hi Priyanka,

      Coconut powder and desiccated coconut are the same. Shredded coconut can also mean fresh or frozen. This recipe uses the dried coconut.

  18. Hi Ladies,

    I love vangi Bath..whenever we go for long drives or any water falls i prepare, why bcoz when u go to such places we love to eat something spicy,tangy…

    Happy Christmas Hetal/Anuja…:)

    do u gys have any idea where can i find baby posters?

    Thanks,
    Sudha

  19. The Vangi Bhaath recipe has turned out much better than I prepare. Looks very delicious.

    I enjoyed watching the video.

    Mangala.

    1. We have had a lot of questions on our new pan :). Unfortunately it does not have a brand written on it :(. We purchased it from TJ Maxx because we loved the retro green color. 🙂

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