Brinji rice recipe with step by step pics. Vegetable brinji is a delicious one-pot vegan dish made with spices, coconut milk, rice and mix veggies. The recipe comes from Tamil Nadu.
This one pot rice recipe is called as brinji rice as it uses tej patta, which is known as ‘brinji elai’ in Tamil language. Another version is that the dish has it roots in Persian cuisine. In Persian language rice is called as ‘berenj’.
Whatever may be the history of this dish, one thing is certain that this is a lovely rice based recipe with flavors of coconut milk and spices. Brinji rice is very similar to a Coconut milk rice.
Suggestions for making brinji rice
- You can use basmati rice. Even seeraga samba rice can be used.
- Veggies of your choice can be added.
- You can even just make it without the addition of any vegetables.
- Some variations of brinji rice also add fried cashews or raisins and even fried bread cubes (bread croutons) as a garnish. I generally make a simple brinji rice.
- To save time I have cooked brinji in a pressure cooker. Even a heavy pan or a pot can be used to cook brinji.
Serve it with a raita of your choices like onion tomato raita or boondi raita or onion raita.
How to make brinji rice
1. Rinse 1.5 cups basmati rice very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. Then soak rice in enough water for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, drain all the water and keep aside.
3. Meanwhile, we can start with the preparation of making brinji rice. In a small grinder jar take 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves, 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves, 2 to 3 green chilies (chopped), 2 teaspoons chopped ginger, 2 teaspoons chopped garlic and 1 tablespoon grated coconut. You can also use desiccated coconut if you do not have fresh coconut.
4. Add 1 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms and ½ teaspoon fennel seeds.
5. Add 4 to 5 tablespoons water and grind to a smooth masala paste.
Making brinji rice
6. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker. You can also use ghee instead of oil. Add 1 large tej patta or 2 to 3 medium to small tej patta (birinj elai).
7. Immediately add 1 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves and 1 green cardamom.
8. Fry spices for a few seconds till they become aromatic.
9. Then add ½ cup sliced onions.
10. Mix and begin to sauté onions on a medium-low flame.
11. Sauté onions till they turn translucent or light brown.
12. Then add ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes.
13. Mix well and begin to sauté tomatoes on medium-low flame.
14. Sauté tomatoes till they soften.
15. now add the ground masala paste.
16. Mix very well and begin to sauté masala on a low flame.
17. Sauté till you see oil releasing from the sides of the masala.
18. Then add ½ to ¾ cup chopped cauliflower florets, ½ cup chopped carrots, ½ chopped potatoes, ⅓ cup chopped capsicum, ⅓ cup green peas and ¼ cup chopped french beans.
20. Mix very well and sauté for a minute.
21. Add the rice.
22. Gently mix rice grains with veggies.
23. Now add 2 cups of coconut milk. I have here used homemade coconut milk.
24. Add ½ cup of water. If you use very thick coconut milk like the packaged ones, then add ¾ cup water.
25. Season with salt as required.
26. Stir and mix well. check the taste of water and it should be slightly salty. If not, then add some more salt.
27. Pressure cook on a medium flame for 8 minutes or 1 to 2 whistles.
28. When the pressure drops down on its own, open the lid of the cooker.
29. Gently fluff the rice and mix so that the top coconut milk layer gets mixed evenly with the bottom rice layer. Mix gently and do not overdo mixing.
30. Serve vegetable brinji rice with any raita variety like cucumber raita or tomato raita or masala raita. While serving brinji rice you can garnish with a few mint leaves or coriander leaves. Some fried cashews, fried raisins or fried bread cubes can also be added as a garnish.
More pulao varieties
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Brinji Rice
Ingredients
for soaking rice
- 1.5 cups basmati rice
- enough water for soaking rice
for ground masala paste
- 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
- 2 to 3 green chilies - chopped
- 2 inch ginger or 2 teaspoons chopped ginger
- 6 to 7 medium garlic cloves or 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated coconut
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 2 green cardamoms
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 4 to 5 tablespoons water or add as required
other ingredients for brinji rice
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 1 green cardamoms
- 1 large tej patta or 2 to 3 medium to small tej patta (birinj elai or indian bay leaf)
- ½ cup sliced onions or 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes or 1 medium tomato, chopped
- ½ to ¾ cup chopped cauliflower florets
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup chopped potato
- ⅓ cup chopped capsicum
- ⅓ cup green peas - fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup chopped french beans
- 2 cups coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- salt as required
Instructions
for soaking rice
- Rinse 1.5 cups basmati rice very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. Then soak rice in enough water for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, drain all the water and keep aside.
preparation for brinji rice
- In a small grinder jar take chopped coriander leaves, chopped mint leaves, green chilies, chopped ginger, chopped garlic and grated coconut.
- Add 1 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms and ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf).
- Add 4 to 5 tablespoons water and grind to a smooth masala paste. Keep aside.
making brinji rice
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker. You can also use ghee instead of oil. Add 1 large tej patta or 2 to 3 medium to small tej patta (birinj elai).
- Immediately add 1 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves and 1 green cardamom.
- Fry spices for a few seconds till they become aromatic.
- Then add ½ cup sliced onions. Stir and mix.
- Stirring often, sauté onions till they turn translucent or light brown.
- Then add ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes. mix well and begin to sauté tomatoes on medium-low flame till they soften.
- Now add the ground masala paste. mix very well and begin to sauté masala on a low flame till you see oil releasing from the sides of the masala paste.
- Then add the veggies. mix very well and sauté for a minute.
- Then add the rice. gently mix rice grains with the veggies.
- Now add 2 cups coconut milk.
- Add ½ cup of water. If you use very thick coconut milk, then add ¾ cup water.
- Season with salt as required. stir and mix well. Check the taste of water and it should be slightly salty. If not, then add some more salt.
- Pressure cook on medium flame for 8 minutes or 1 to 2 whistles. when pressure drops down on its own, open the lid of the cooker.
- Gently fluff the rice and mix so that the top coconut milk layer gets mixed evenly with the bottom rice layer. Mix gently and do not over do.
- Serve veg brinji rice with any raita.
