The best experience one can have with food, will be having a good wedding feast. The varieties one gets served, is simply out of the world. Previous to being a food blogger, I have never really appreciated the varieties one can see in a spread. Not that I eat all of them now. But I have started appreciating the efforts and the varieties one gets served in a wedding feast. I always restrict myself to sambar, appalam and whatever snack that served. Rest of the items just goes wasted. Most times I ask them not to serve. These days I atleast try to eat the poriyal or the kootu.
My favorite feast has always been a Brahmin wedding spread. I simply love their choice and the taste that comes out of it. Of course, now I make usil and other dishes at home. Back then, it used to be a treat. My best friend at school was a brahmin and once when my parents had gone out of station, I was invited for a breakfast at their place. I was in for a real feast. What we have for lunch, they had for their breakfast. Aunty had made Drumstick Sambar with Appalam, Parupu Usil, Avial, Kootu, Rasam and Curds. Gosh by the time I eat all of that, I was ready for a sleep. Imagine eating all that heavy stuff right in the morning. All my brahmin friends had this habit. For me, once was more than enough, though I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We also make all these items in the morning for our packed lunch. I can never imagine changing my food habit. And during weekends, we start our lunch preparation quite late in the morning. But my friends used to have a brunch and then have some light tiffin around 4 pm and then straight dinner. They follow the wise words correctly. I guess each one to their habit.
Coming back to the wedding feast, one of the common items these days in any wedding is a rice dish that they as Brinji. Not sure of the origin of the name but it's one of the most delicious dish one gets to eat. Sure it does tastes different in all weddings, still it's something that's very unique to the wedding feast. I have for many years tried searching for the perfect one or rather the ones that I remember eating at the wedding feasts. I came across another version called, though on its own it tasted great, it wasn't the same thing. I don't remember where I saw this one but I am still searching for the perfect one as its in my mind. If you know one, I would be glad to know the way this is prepared and served in the wedding, meanwhile I will go ahead with the one I prepared recently. First time I did, I didn't have Pudina but it tasted good. So I thought maybe adding pudina/mint might give that exact taste. But it was altogether different one. I had a version minus the roasted spices but adding the roasted spices gave a different taste. Still we enjoyed for our lunch box.
Today's Lunch Box had
Brinji ~ Vegetable Rice
Onion Raitha
Pepper Cumin Rasam
Curd Rice
Brinji ~ Vegetable Rice
Ingredients Needed:
Basmati Rice - 1 & 1/2cup
Onions - 2 medium
Mixed vegetables – 1 cup (potato, carrot, beans, peas)
Coconut milk – 2 cups (1 half of a medium sized coconut)
Cloves – 2
Cardamom – 2
Cinnamon – 1 "
Bay leaf – 1
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Spices to be ground
Grated coconut – ½ cup
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Green chilies – 4
Ginger – 1 "
Garlic – 5 cloves
Coriander leaves – ¼ cup packed tightly
Mint leaves – handful
Method to prepare
Soak the basmati rice in water for 15 minutes.
Grind all the spice ingredients to a fine paste with little water.
Grind the coconut with little water to get a thick milk.
Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and the bay leaf. Sauté for 1 min, then add the onions chopped as julienne and sauté till lightly browned.
Once the onions are brown, add the spice paste and fry for another 5 minutes on a low flame. Take care to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom.
Add the chopped vegetables and fry for 2-3 minutes.Drain the rice and reserve the water. Add the rice to the cooker and gently fry for 2 min. Take 2 cups of coconut milk and 1 cup of reserved water, and add to the cooker. Stir well so that it gets mixed properly. Add salt. Cover and put it for 1 whistle.
Serve with Onion raitha.
Before covering, ensure you stir it well so that it gets mixed. Once you open the lid, it might be little watery but once you keep it aside, its all set.
This is my entry for Meeta's Monthly Mingle which this month is one dish dinner.
Recipe
Brinji ~ Vegetable Pulav | Tamil Nadu Style Brinji Rice | Lunch Box Series : LBS#25
Tried this recipe?Mention @cooking4all or tag #cooking4all!
Latha says
Love you, Valli! Brinji is my fav too at wedding receptions:) and whenever we go home this is the first thing I want to eat in Saravana Bhavan:) with that vengaya thayir pachadi... oh my heavenly. I'll for sure attempt this recipe:)
Meeta says
Lovely lovely recipe. Thanks for joining me at the MM!
Kalai says
This rice is new to me, but looks fantastic and easy to make, Thanks, Valli! 🙂
Namratha says
Brinji Rice sounds new to me though it looks familiar, I bet it tastes gr8!
Vcuisine says
Brinji rice is very handy and that too for lunch box. Quick one. Nice. Viji
Jayashree says
Haven't had rice brinji...what I have had is rava brinji...served at some hotels. This sound good.
Srivalli says
Latha, thank you..glad you like it so much...
Meeta, thank you..thanks for hosting the event
Viji, thanks for your comment..this is quite easy too
Kalai, oh..thanks..its very easy one at that
Namratha, if you have been around tamil nadu, you would've heard it
Jayashree, thats new to know..great
Mrs. W says
Your recipe looks really great!
Srivalli says
Thanks for dropping by Mrs.W, glad you liked it.
rupa says
Brinji brings memories when i used to live in chennai..i remember some restaurants added fried bread pieces in the rice which mixed with masalas in the rice tasted heavenly!
Srivalli says
rupa, thanks for dropping by..glad this brought back good memories...yes I too remember
Tintu says
dear freind I have no cooker that fit to serve around 10 people, but wanted to try your recipe badly how can i still get the perfect rice without it,plz help me.Need your advice and suggestions.
Thabk you Valli Bless you
Tintu says
dear valli 'am awaitin your reply can u reply me with my Q's everyday am peepin inside ur site
Srivalli says
Tintu, I am so sorry for the late reply, I had it unread but somehow missed to reply. Thanks for interest. I hope this turns out well for you.
This dish can be prepared perfectly well in any thick bottom pan or non stick pan that has a proper lid.
Follow the same process as mentioned. Simmer and cook the vegetables for extra time for it to get cooked. Rest of the method should work out fine with the pan cooking too.
I see that I have mentioned 3 cups (1 cup water+ 2 cups coconut milk). Mostly with Basmati rice I use 1: 1 ratio, you can do the same for you to get separate grains of rice. If you prefer little mushy rice texture add 1: 2 ratio.
But basically for pulao one will prefer grains being separate. so use your judgment.
Any other doubt, just send me a mail.
Tintu says
Dear valli thank you so much for your reply!!!!!!!!
so how much coconut milk and hw much water exactly do i have to add for 1 cup basmathi rice for a seperate rice feel!
and if in case i use ordinary rice in this case how much do i have to ,
you also mentioned about simmering the veggies does it mean it have to evaporate the entire moisture or leave in some??
Tintu says
Dear Sri,
This is absolute,,,,,,,,,,
Understood the mechanics , physics nd chemistry behind this salt adding,amount of water and cooking a feel free brinji rice from you,,,,too good,,,, Thank you so much!
Srivalli says
TintuYou can add 1 cup thick coconut milk for 1 cup basmati rice.
For regular rice, it should be 2 cups of coconut milk. If you don't want it so rich, make it 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup water.
Add salt to the veggies and simmer for a while with lid covered. This way the veggies get soft. So you need not add extra liquid for cooking it. You need not worry abt evaporating the entire moisture, just ensure if it is almost 75% cooked before adding rice.
If you are particular abt getting separated rice grains when cooking with veggies, you will have to add water only for the rice. So the veggies should get cooked in on its own, before adding the rice and water.
Hope I am clear.