baingan pulao or brinjal pulao recipe with step by step photos – pulao and khichdi are comfort food for us. they are easy and simple to cook and also nutritious.
i usually end up making veg pulao or khichdi when I am too tired to cook. cooking them in the pressure cooker makes things much easier. cooking pulao has one more advantage in terms of nutrition. pulao is a healthy dish as often lot of different vegetables are used in different pulao recipes.
this baingan pulao recipe is very simple and easy to make. it goes well with curd curry (simple dahi kadhi) or any dal recipe. another dish i make with rice and brinjal combo is this karnataka style vangi bath.
you could also have baingan pulao plain with onion-tomato raita or coriander chutney or mango pickle and fried/roasted papad. i made this baingan pulao to go with aloo mutter and the combo was great.
If you are looking for more brinjal recipes then do check:
brinjal pulao recipe
Ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)
- 1 cup basmati rice or 200 grams basmati rice
- 100 to 150 grams eggplant (brinjal or baingan) or 8 to 10 small brinjals, you could also use medium sized aubergine
- 1 medium sized onion, thinly sliced
- ½ inch ginger + 5 to 6 small garlic + 1 or 2 green chilies - crushed in a mortar-pestle
- ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera)
- 1 bay leaf (indian tej patta)
- 1 inch cinnamon (dal chini)
- 2 green cardamoms (chotto elachi)
- 3 cloves (lavang)
- 2 single strands of mace (javitri)
- 3 to 4 black pepper (sabut kali mirch)
- 1 piece small of stone flower (dagad phool) - optional
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoon oil
- salt as required
How to Make Recipe
preparation for baingan pulao
- soak water for 30 minutes. rinse 1 cup basmati rice very well in water. then soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes.
- after 30 minutes, drain the rice and keep aside.
- meanwhile when the rice is soaking, chop 8 to 10 baingan (about 100 to 150 grams brinjals) and soak them in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.
- also slice 1 medium sized onion thinly and crush ½ inch ginger, 5 to 6 small garlic, 1 or 2 green chilies to a smooth paste in mortar pestle.
making baingan pulao
- heat oil in a pressure cooker or a pot.
- add the following whole spices and fry them till they are fragrant - ½ tsp cumin/jeera, 1 bay leaf, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 cardamoms, 3 cloves, 2 single strands of mace, 3 to 4 black pepper and 1 small piece of stone flower (optional).
- add the sliced onions. stir very well. stir and saute the onions till light golden or golden.
- then add crushed ginger-garlic-green chilies. stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- now add the spice powders - ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and ¼ tsp garam masala powder.
- add the chopped baingan. stir and saute for a minute.
- add the drained rice. stir and saute the rice for a minute. add 2 cups water. if cooking in a pot, you can add 2.25 to 2.5 cups of water.
- add salt and stir very well.
- cover the cooker with its lid tightly and pressure cook the baingan pulao for 2 to 3 whistles.
- when the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid.
- add chopped coriander leaves and gently mix it with the rice.
- serve baingan pulao hot with some raita or plain yogurt.
preparation to make baingan pulao recipe
1. rinse 1 cup basmati rice very well in water. then soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes.
2. after 30 minutes, drain the rice and keep aside.
3. meanwhile when the rice is soaking, chop 8 to 10 baingan/brinjals (about 100 to 150 grams) and soak them in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes. also slice 1 medium sized onion thinly and crush ½ inch ginger, 5 to 6 small garlic, 1 or 2 green chilies to a smooth paste in mortar pestle.
making baingan pulao
4. heat oil in a pressure cooker or a pot. add the following whole spices and fry them till they are fragrant – ½ tsp cumin, 1 bay leaf, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms, 3 cloves, 2 single strands of mace, 3 to 4 black pepper and 1 small piece of stone flower (optional).
5. add the sliced onions.
6. stir very well.
7. stir and saute the onions till light golden or golden.
8. then add crushed ginger-garlic-green chilies.
9. stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
10. now add the spice powders – ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and ¼ tsp garam masala powder.
11. add the chopped baingan. stir and saute for a minute.
12. add the drained rice.
13. stir and saute the rice for a minute.
14. add 2 cups water. if cooking in a pot, you can add 2.25 to 2.5 cups of water.
15. add salt and stir very well.
16. cover the cooker with its lid tightly and pressure cook the baingan pulao for 2 to 3 whistles.
17. when the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid.
18. add chopped coriander leaves and gently mix it with the rice.
19. serve baingan pulao hot with some raita or plain yogurt.
This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! I don’t have a pressure cooker though.. will that be a problem?
Thanks Faeza. You can make in pan or pot.
Hi! Excellent recipe. could never imagine eating baingan pulao before I made this.
I missed adding cumin as it is not mentioned in the ‘how to make’ section.
thanks anisha. i will update the cumin part. thanks for letting me know.
Hi Dassana, I think there is something you added in picture but missing in recipe…
Don’t think much, I will tell you… It’s cumin…
By the way, recipe is good. My husband does not like brinjal much. Still he liked the taste of pulao n left some brinjal pieces for me 🙂
thanks bhavana for sharing positive feedback and also for pointing this out. i appreciate your sweet gesture. now mentioned the cumin in the list.