Brinjal Rice

Ingredients:

1/2 kg raw rice (cook rice such that each grain is separate, add a tsp of ghee and lemon juice to the rice and combine)
1/4 kg green or purple brinjals (thinly slice into 2″ pieces and place in salted water)
1 1/2 tbsps oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp channa dal (optional)
15 fresh curry leaves
pinch of turmeric pwd
2-3 tbsps roasted groundnuts
1/2 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
salt to taste


To be roasted and ground to a fine powdered:

3 dry red chillis (adjust to your spice level)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp khus-khus/gasagasalu/poppy seeds
large pinch cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp black gram dal (minappappu)
1/2 tbsp bengal gram/channa dal/senaga pappu
1/2 tbsp grated dry coconut
1 Marathi moggu
1” cinnamon stick (dalchinichakka)
1 clove
1/4 tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp hing/inguva/asafoetida
1 tsp oil


Procedure :

1 ) Heat a cooking vessel on medium heat and dry roast cumin seeds and coriander seeds, clove, marathi moggu, cinnamon and dry chillis for 2 mts. Remove and keep aside. In the same pan, add oil, add channa dal and urad dal and fry for two minutes till they turn red. Remove and keep aside. Add khus-khus, sesame seeds and grated coconut and fry for a minute and turn of heat. Add hing and stir fry for a few seconds. Cool and grind all the roasted ingredients to make a powder.
2) In the same vessel, add oil and once its hot, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the channa dal and once it turns red, add curry leaves and let the flavor of the curry leaves come out.
3 ) Add the brinjal pieces, turmeric pwd and salt and fry for 25-30 minutes or till almost cooked.
4) Add the ground vangi bath masala pwd and combine well and cook further for another 2-3 mts. Add the cooked rice and combine with the brinjal-spice mixture.
5 Add the roasted peanuts and adjust salt and combine with the rice.
6 Serve hot with yogurt and appadam. A one-pot complete meal!