Vegetable Brinji Rice – with a step by step methods and pictures are seen in this blog.
Vegetable Brinji Rice is mildly spiced rice that is often served at parties and marriage functions. This brinji rice has a rich flavour of coconut milk and bay leaf. The name of this rice emerged since we cook this rice with bay leaf. Bay leaf is called Brinji in the Tamil Language and we add vegetables to this rice variety. Hence we call it Vegetable Brinji Rice.
You can make this Vegetable Brinji Rice when you have parties at your home and delight your guests with this simple brinji rice. This rice is served with simple onion raitha and pappad. You can either add more vegetables to this brinji rice or can make it in a simple way using a single vegetable as well. When you don’t add any vegetables, it will become similar to coconut rice since you are adding coconut milk to the rice. Be it with fewer vegetables or more vegetables, this Vegetable Brinji Rice will satisfy your tummy with its mild flavour spices and coconut milk.
I have added only carrots and potatoes to this brinji rice due to the non-availability of other ingredients. But you can add Cauliflower florets, Green peas, Beans, Capsicum and Soya chunks as well. If you want, you can also prefer garnishing with cashews, raisins and also with fried bread pieces. So try this recipe and let me know how it turns out for you.
Check out my other Main Course Recipes here.
- Preparation Time : 10 mins
- Cooking Time : 20 mins
- Total : 30 mins
- Servings : 3 Persons
- Course : Main Course
- Cuisine : Indian
Ingredients for making Vegetable Brinji Rice
For Masala Paste
- 3 tbsp grated Coconut
- Few Mint leaves (Chopped)
- Few Coriander leaves (Chopped)
- 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 to 3 Green Chillies and Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Cloves and Cardamom pods
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
For making Brinji Rice
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- 2 Medium sized Onions (Chopped)
- 1 Tomato (Chopped)
- 1 large Carrot (Cubically chopped)
- 2 medium sized Potatoes (Cubically chopped)
- 1 1/2 cups Coconut milk
- 1 Star Anise
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 to 3 tbsp Oil
- Salt to Taste
Steps for making Vegetable Brinji Rice
Wash and soak 1 cup of Basmati Rice in the water for 30 mins.
Then prepare a masala paste for the vegetable Brinji rice. Add mint leaves, coriander leaves, grated coconut, ginger garlic paste and green chillies to the blending jar. You can adjust the spices according to your taste.
Next, add cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and fennel seeds to the jar.
Add a little amount of water and blend it to a smooth paste.
Heat oil in the pressure cooker. Add 3 cardamom pods, 2 cloves, 1 star anise and 2 bay leaves to them.
Once the spices are fried, add chopped onions to them. Saute the onions on the medium flame until they become translucent.
Then add chopped tomatoes and saute them until they become mushy.
Next, add the ground masala paste and saute them until the oil releases from the edges.
Add the chopped vegetables and saute them for few mins, once the oil is released from the masala paste. Season it with the required amount of salt.
After sauteing the veggies, add soaked basmati rice and mix them gently.
Then 1 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water to the rice. I used 1 1/2 cup of coconut milk since I had them. If you have 1 cup of coconut milk, then add 1 cup of water to adjust the water level. Check for the salt and the water should be a bit salty. So that salt will be in the correct taste when the rice is cooked.
Then close the cooker and leave it for 2 whistles on medium flame.
After 2 whistles, turn off the stove. Let the cooker releases the pressure on its own. Then open the cooker and gently mix the rice since the ground coconut paste would have come to the top. At this stage, you can garnish it with your desired nuts as well.
Vegetable Brinji Rice is ready to serve hot.
Quick Tips
- For this rice, I have used groundnut oil but you can prefer coconut oil as well.
- At the last stage, you can also add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves for enhancing the flavour of the brinji rice.
- Do not add more grated coconut to make the masala since it will give sweetness to the rice.
- You can adjust the green chillies according to your tastebuds.
