Vegetable Rice ( Brinji Recipe )

Vegetable Rice ( Brinji Recipe )

Vegetable Rice | Brinji Recipe is a Fragrant rice and vegetable one pot recipe, with freshly ground spices.

Brinji or vegetable rice is a very popular south indian version of rice recipe. This is usually served in every wedding meal.

This recipe is also a perfect lunch box recipe for weekdays. In this recipe, I have used freshly ground spices to make it very fragrant, and I would grade it to a good wedding quality vegetable rice or Brinji.

How to make Vegetable Rice Brinji Recipe

• Wash the rice until the water runs clear and soak the rice for 30 minutes.
• Take a fine blender, add the ingredients, under “To Grind” – Garlic pods, Ginger, Coriander Seeds, Green chillies, Cinnamon stick, Cloves, Green Cardamom pod. Water and grind to a paste.
• In a large pressure cooker, add oil+ ghee, once hot, add in the whole spices – bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods. Let it sizzle in the oil for about 15 seconds,
• Next add in mint leaves in the oil and let the flavor infuse in it. Don’t let it burn keep flame in low to medium.
• Quickly add in the thinly sliced onions, turmeric powder increase flame to medium. add some salt to the onions and cook it until it is soft and translucent.
• Add the chopped vegetables, roughly chopped tomatoes, corriander leaves and salt for the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Next add the ground masala paste, and cook the masala well until the raw flavour is gone. It will take about 5- 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile measure the coconut milk and Keep it ready.
• Once the masala is cooked off, add in the soaked and drained rice. Mix it in.
• Measure and add the coconut milk, Give it a good mix to move the rice and veggies.
• Check for salt, adjust salt if less.
• Add ghee for nice flavor and cover the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistle on medium flame. After that keep the flame on low and cook for 5 minutes.
• Once the pressure is released, gently fluff the rice from bottom to top and let it sit for a few minutes with the lid slightly coved.
• Serve it hot with onion raita.

How to eat

Serve this delicious vegetable rice with onions and tomatoes raita.

Check out other similar one pot recipes.

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Mushroom Tofu Gyozas

Carrot Chutney

Eggless Chocolate Pudding

Ghee Rice

Chettinad Kavuni Arisi – Black Rice Pudding

Cauliflower Tikka Biriyani

Ingredients required

To Grind :

• 1/2 inch Ginger
• 2-3 Garlic (large pods)
• 5 Green chillies (spicy variety)
• 1.5 tbsp Coriander seeds
• 1.5 inch Cinnamon stick
• 5 Cloves
• 1 Green Cardamom
• Little water

To Cook:

• 4 tbsp Oil + ghee
• 1/2 large bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 Cardamom Pods
• 4 Cloves
• 1 handful Mint Leaves
• 2 onions (thinly sliced)
• 1 tbsp Salt (Add to taste)
• 1 carrot (Cut in triangles)
• 5-6 Beans (cut 1/2 inch)
• 2 medium sized tomatoes
• 1 handful Corriander Leaves
• 1 Large peeled potato (roughly cubed)
• 2 cups Raw rice (I use ponni variety – Wash and soak for 30 minutes)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 5 Cups coconut milk
• 1 Tsp Ghee

Prep work before you begin

Slice the onions, Roughly chop tomatoes

Prepare Coconut Milk

Peel Ginger and Garlic, Potatoes.

Quarter the Carrots and cut into 1/2 cm thick pieces, cut beans to 1/2 inch pieces,

Notes

1. You can use basmati rice to make the same brinji. This is also similar to pulao but the only difference is it is called brinji or vegetable rice in South India.
2. There is no other masala powder or garam masala powder added to the dish which makes it very simple in flavors yet a very memorable one.
3. Incase you want to cook this rice recipe with basmati rice, you can stick to basmati rice to water ratio of 1:1.5 which is a standard measurement to get the right texture for basmati rice. You can also add plain water instead of coconut milk.
4. The water to raw rice ratio varies as per the age of the rice. I have given the ratio that works for the quality of rice I use.
5. If you are using any other variety of raw rice, keep the water to rice ratio according to your rice.
6. If you don’t have access to fresh coconut milk, you can do what I did, I used 1/2 can of canned coconut milk and diluted to measure 5 cups.

Vegan Version

This recipe is 99 % plant based except for the ghee that is added towards the end. If you don’t prefer it, replace it with a plant based butter and cook the rice.

How to make vegetable rice / Brinji Rice – Video recipe

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