Curried Eggplant Rice

When I am uncertain about what to cook for lunch, I bank on mixed rice. Scour your refrigerator for any vegetable, sauté them with appropriate spices, mix with rice and serve with raita and chips. Lunch is taken care of. This is one such recipe I came up with and liked so much, that it goes to my cooking repertoire.

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup
Indian eggplant – 6 or 7
Onion – 1, chopped
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Chana dal – 1 tbsp
Urad dal – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves
Red chillies – 2, broken
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
MTR Curry powder or a combination of garam masala, coriander powder and cumin powder – 2 tsp
Salt
Oil

Method

Cook rice in a pressure cooker or on stove top and cool separating each grain.

In a skillet, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, and add chana dal, urad dal and red chillies. After dal gets brown, add curry leaves, onion and turmeric powder. Let onions turn soft and add chopped eggplants, salt, curry powder. Sauté until eggplant is cooked and roasted well. Mix the cooled rice and adjust seasoning as required. Serve with vegetable salad or raita.

Curried Eggplant Rice

Eggplant rice served with rainbow carrots that I picked from the local farmer’s market.

45 comments:

amna said...

I know not many people like eggplant but I love the flavour it gives out, especially to sambhar and aviyal :) this is an awesome recipe. And as always.. lovely pic :)

Anonymous said...

ah, i am posting an eggplant recipe today, made on the spur of the moment much like yours - the dilemma in my case was associated with "what to cook for dinner?" though.

kalanda sadam looks gorgeous, i love anything with eggplant.

Raaga said...

My blogosphere sister... my lunch is capsicum rice today :-) with curd.

This is so simple and looks yum!

Latha Narasimhan said...

simple and tasty!good meal for brinjal lovers like me!!

Shammi said...

Suganya: God, girl, your photo makes me almost want to like eggplant! :)

Suganya said...

Nags, You have an eggplant lover here :)

Lakshmi, Rice is only for lunch. Dinner-ku tiffin thaan.

Sister Raaga ;). While you are at it, check out Shammi's Sesame rice. Its awesome.

Thank you Latha Mami!

Shyamala, Give eggplant a try. I suggest you start from rasavangi.

Roopa said...

yummy yum lovely one dear :) just looking at it is making mouth water...

amna said...

yeah, i wudnt mind that either :D and may i tell you one more time that i am in love (totally and completely) with your pics? DO you use photoshop?

Srivalli said...

suganya...thats one yummy looking dish...you make the picture take life...great job...am sure it must've been yummy..

indosungod said...

Suganya, yes one pot meals come in handy anytime and one made with eggplant is great anytime. Those colorful carrots look gorgeous.

Sia said...

first i thought its vangi baath. beautiful pic. did u use small purple egg plants here?

Laavanya said...

What a pretty looking eggplant rice!

FH said...

Looks yummy! I love MTR Vangibhaat pd.Rainbow Carrots,got to look for those!:)
Good one Suganya.

Anonymous said...

That is a great idea. I could definitely use it.

sra said...

You make eggplant look attractive, not that I'm a hater

Richa said...

true, flavored rice is always a saving grace :)
looks yum!

Anonymous said...

Suganya its always a visual treat visiting your blog. Lovely colour and those carrots looks so cute.

Pooja V said...

This recipe is awesome and as always the picture is gorgeous. Just love visiting ur blog.

Suganya said...

Thank you Roopa.

I use Photoshop Elements for all editing purposes. A good picture requires good photographer, more than a good camera. So you will get it. It just takes some time and know-how. Looking back, I don't like some of the pictures I have taken earlier. Try reading some books on photography-basics. That should help you. All the best :).

Thank you Sri, ISG and Laavanya.

Sia, Those are small, purple, Indian eggplants.

Asha, Rainbow carrots are so pretty. Thanks to an enthusiastic farmer in the market.

Gini, Sra, Richa, Madhu, Pooja, Thank you all for yr visit. Appreciate it :)

Kumudha said...

Looks delicious!
Looks so much like vangi baath.

Tee said...

Mixed rice sure is a life saver! Your version looks very colorful and yummy! :)

bha said...

brilliant idea for a quick lunch for one......and nice pic

Kribha said...

I was planning to do vangibhaat tonight. Nice recipe and picture. Presentation of the rainbow carrots looks so good.

Anonymous said...

this is a good one i never tried eggplant rice will try.nice pics

Priyanka said...

eggplant rice looks tempting Suganya....but i loved the Mysore rasam even more...will try it out sometime:)

musical said...

I completely agree with your first paragraph! i love eggplants!

Those rainbow carrots look really pretty!

Latha said...

Looks delicious Suganya. We make something similar - vangibhaat - i'm sure u know of it. And these mixed rices are such a savior - are'nt they?
Love u're version, so simple.

Anonymous said...

Came in through Savithri's blog (her mom). I too like Latha call it vaangi bath. One version I try is to cook the brinjal in the microwave covered by a plate for two minutes and then add it to the rice. The dhals are fried and powdered and added to the rice with a good amount of coriander powder and coconut!

Rajitha said...

suganya.. nice touch with those carrots.. the pics look amazing..fresh and clear.
on another note...i was a little dissapointed with yellow carrots.. tasted the same as the red/orange ones huh!!

Cynthia said...

Suganya, I am so with you on this quick dish. You know how many veg-rice combos I've come up with. Your curry and eggplant rice is stunning to look at and I can just imagine how good it tastes.

Bong Mom said...

Have never tried eggplant rice..is it like vangi bhaat ? Looks gorgeous

Prema Sundar said...

That shining eggplant looks nice Suganya. I have made vangibhath only twice..urs looks very tempting. noted down the recipe. thanks.

Suganya said...

Thank you Kumudha.

Tee and Bhags, it is such a time saver :)

Kribha, This is not the traditional vaangi baath. But its quite worth the try.

Sure do Ramya.

Priyanka, Do let me know how it turned out!

Musical, The rainbow carrots are pretty. That was the first thing that caught my attention when I entered that stall.

Latha, Vaangi baath is totally different. This is make-shift ;)

Mrs. Padma, Thank you for visiting my blog. I am aware of vaangi baath. But this is not intended to be the original recipe. This is something I came up with, when I was in a hurry. Your girls are rocking the blogosphere, may I add :)

Rajitha, What do you expect a carrot to taste like? Greedy you are :p. Do you know carrots were originally purple in colour and were later changed to orange by Dutch, as it is their national colour?

Cynthia, It tasted good. More importantly, I was out the kitchen sooner :D

Sandeepa, This is not Vaangi baath. I can post the recipe if you want. Lets say this is one other version of eggplant rice!

Prema, Thank you :).

Anonymous said...

GORGEOUS- I dont think eggplants can get any more happier! The rainbow carrot sticks are so beautiful...just wanna pick the up...

archana said...

Rice looks nice, loved those rainbow carrots:)

Anonymous said...

Rainbow carrots sounds interesting! Your rice looks delicious.

Rachna said...

the picture is the highlight here.....makes me wanna make this recipe more than anything...

Anonymous said...

the preperation looks very nice...

P.S: if u get time do visit my blog...

Menu Today said...

Hi,
Nice presentation!!!! Lovely Pic.
Thanks for sharing.

sunita said...

I count on mixed rice too as a lifesaver...I love eggplants...the rice looks gorgeous.

Padma said...

Truly said that mixed rice is a time saver and mouth full of flavors, loved ur rainbow of carrots

Viji said...

It's my favorite too. Very nice. Viji

Shella said...

Love your rice. I heard so much of eggplant rice on the blogworld that I had a colleague who is from Tamilnadu to have his mom make some authentic vengai rice (I hope I am correct) for me. It tasted delicious. Now its my turn to try out.

SeeC said...

Thats a simple,but tasty kalandha saadam.

Cham said...

I made this rice and love for the simplicity! Thank you Suganya!

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