Brinji rice is a very popular rice variety in small hotels in Chennai. Long back I had shared a
plain brinji recipe with coconut milk. Recently I came across a vegetable brinji rice recipe(Brinji sadam in Tamil) in Eesha’s kitchen YouTube video which is completely different from my earlier version. So I tried it for our Sunday lunch. I am not sure if this the original Chennai brinji rice. But it came out well and tasted more like biryani/ pulao made with coconut milk. We all loved it. But I felt there is no much difference between the taste of this veg brinji and biryani. There are many versions available for this particular recipe.
Some recipes call for using freshly ground masala. As I had already shared a plain brinji sadam recipe, I wanted to prepare it with vegetables. Friends, If any of you know the authentic Chennai brinji rice recipe, please let me know. I am ready to try again and update this post. I have used jeera rice as its popularly known as brinji rice. So you can call this rice as Seeraga samba pulao as well.
In the original recipe, it is prepared with basmati rice. So you can also use basmati or even Sona masoori raw rice to make this brinji. But the flavor and the quantity of water varies. For variations, you can add fried bread pieces at the end. As this recipe has no grinding job and done directly in a pressure cooker bachelors can give a try and pack it for your lunch box.
Ok, Lets see how to make Tamil nadu style Vegetable brinji rice with step by step pictures.
Check out my
Plain brinji rice recipe,
Jeera rice veg biryani and my
40+ veg biryani varieties.
I used my Preethi Zodiac mixer grinder for extracting coconut milk easily. So I have shared separate step by step pictures for the same. Please check it out if interested. Preethi zodiac has really made my cooking much easier by helping me in chopping, grinding, atta kneading etc. Friends, you can think about buying this product if you are planning to change your old mixer.
COCONUT MILK EXTRACTION USING PREETHI ZODIAC
- Take the coconut and cut into small pieces. You can also use grated coconut.
- Now take the super extractor jar and fit the blade. Cover the spout with the cap. Put the coconut pieces and grind to a coarse paste without adding water.
- Now add the required warm water ( 1:1 ratio of coconut and water for thick milk) and grind continuously.Coconut milk collects in the jar.
- Pour into a bowl and use as required.
Vegetable Brinji Rice Recipe
How to make Chennai special Brinji rice with vegetables & coconut milk
Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Main course
Serves: Serves 2 to 3
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 20 Minutes
1 cup = 250ml
- Mixed vegetables - 1/2 cup ( 1 small carrot, 2 beans, handful of green peas, 1 potato)
- Basmati rice / jeera rice/ Raw rice - 1 cup
- Cooking oil + ghee - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
- Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
- Cloves - 2 nos
- Cardamom - 1 no ( crushed)
- Bay leaf - 1 no
- Black stone flower / Kalpasi- 1 no
- Big onion - 1 no
- Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp ( Use freshly ground paste for best taste)
- Green chillies - 2 nos. ( Use 3 to 4 for spicy brinji)
- Mint leaves - 2 tbsp
- Ripe tomato - 1 no ( big, chop finely)
- Coriander leaves - Few
- Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
- Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
- Salt - as needed
- Curd - 1 tbsp
- Water + coconut milk - 1 cup + 3/4 cup
Fried bread pieces – Few (Optional) |
METHOD
- Wash and chop all the vegetables into small cubes. Set aside.
- Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker. Saute the whole garam masala.
- Add sliced onion and saute till transparent.Saute GG paste till raw smell goes off.
- Add green chillies + mint leaves. Saute for a minute.
- Saute tomato + coriander leaves till mushy.
- Add spice powders, salt, curd and mix well.
- Lastly add water, coconut milk and let it roll boil. Add washed rice and pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.
- Remove the lid after steam is released. Fluff the rice and serve hot with raita, kurma or brinjal gravy as side dish.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
- Wash the rice, drain the water completely and keep aside. No need to soak if using Jeera rice/ seeraga samba rice. If you are using basmati rice or raw rice, soak for 30 minutes.
- Wash and chop vegetables into small cubes, slice onions, finely chop tomato. Heat oil in a pressure cooker base. Saute cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf, black stone flower and crushed cardamom.
- Add onion, gg paste and saute till onion turns transparent. Add slit green chilli and mint leaves. Saute for a minute. Add tomato pieces, coriander leaves and saute till tomato becomes mushy.
- Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Saute well and add curd. Mix well. Add water and coconut milk.
- After it comes to roll boil, add washed rice. Mix well and cover the cooker with a lid. Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle. Remove the lid after steam is released. Mix gently and serve hot with onion raita, vegetable kurma, Biryani brinjal gravy, tomato gravy etc.
- Enjoy !
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Note
- Adjust the quantity of green chillies as per your taste.
- You can also use basmati rice or raw rice. In that case, soak the rice for minimum 30 minutes and use 1: 1.5 cups to 2 cups of water.
- You can skip red chilli powder and use green chillies alone.
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Yummy Tamilnadu style vegetable brinji rice is ready ! Try at home and relish with your favorite side dish !!
