Vangi Bath ~ Weekend Cooking and a new look!

Published: Jul 28, 2008 · Modified: Sep 23, 2020 by Srivalli · 40 Comments

Change is the only consistent thing in this life! One can't escape what changes life brings to one, happiness is when one can adapt to those changes. I guess in general, life sounds exciting when you have a new overlook or a new thing happening to us. But if you ask me, I am more of a routine, mundane person, though I don't mind the changes, life has brought to me if it's something related and within my scope, I never get bored with the same thing.

But hey colours bring in a lot of happiness right. Few friends have been telling me, that I got to change the template at least. I looked through a few but was always coming back to this one. I like the white background, so the best would be to change the header!

How do you like the new header? I thought this suited my theme and title! With the four seasons and four seasonal cooking style. I somehow loved that Boar getting BBQ! It took me back to those wonderful childhood dreams, spent reading Asterix, the Gaul. I even imagined wild boars will be available in India and all I had to do, was to visit a forest, and lo I will find Obelix running behind one!

Anyway, childhood is a wonderful period in one's life, and those dreams are what we sail our lives on! Do let me know if you face any issues with image loading and viewing. I will be very glad to know your feedback.

Yesterday being Aadi Krithigai, we cooked vegetarian for lunch. The temples all over the area were crowded and hustling busily with all the abhishekam and other poojas. And I finally got a chance to make Vangi Bath. Vangi Bath is something, that I had always wanted to make but the timing was never right.

Yeah, a vegetarian Sunday lunch was what I was looking for. There is really no fun in cooking for myself alone right! I remember the flavoursome, Vangi Bath from the days when Amma used to make it. At my parents' home, Saturday was always dedicated to a Vegetarian feast, so we have a lot of choices and Amma always indulges us.

Finally, here comes the Vangi Bath, the best way to enjoy Brinjal. I do think, if you are a person who hates Eggplant, this is the best way to start liking it! For another version of Brinjal Rice, you can check the recipe

The items on the menu

Vangi Bath
Cucumber Raitha
Tomato Rasam
Ragi Papad
Curds
Bellam Annam

Vangi Bath ~ Curried Egg Plant Rice

Ingredients Needed:

Rice - 1 cup (200 gms)
Brinjal / Egg Plant - 250 gms
Onions - 2 medium
Mustard + Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 10 leaves
Green chillis - 2 long
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

For the Masala

Copra (Dry coconut) - 3 tbsp
Whole coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Bengal Gram - 3 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Whole Pepper - 10 nos
Red Chili long - 4
Poppy Seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 2"
Maretti Moggu - 1
Oil - 1 tsp

Method to prepare:

Wash and soak rice for 10 - 15 mins. Pressure cook it and keep it aside.

The ingredients for the ground masala, need to be roasted in oil. So heat a pan, and roast each of them one by one. Allow it to cool, then grind to a fine powder. If Maretti Moggu is not available, use clove. And even fresh coconut can be used.

Trim the Brinjal ends and chop them into long pieces. Soak them in water. else they turn brown.

Then heat a big pan with oil, add mustard, urad, and curry leaves. Once they start spluttering, add onion juliennes. Sauté well. Based on your spice level, you can either chop the green chilis into small pieces or just slit them in middle. Add to the onions and fry well.

Then drain the water from the brinjal, add to the onions. Sauté on high flame for 2 mins. Then simmer, add turmeric and salt. Mix well and sim the flame to low and cooked it for 10 mins. The brinjals should get tender with its own steam. Remove the lid and add the ground masala. Mix well. Cook this for 5 mins.

Then add the cooked rice and mix well. Adjust the spice and salt. I retained some masala, so added a little more based on the taste. Add ghee and mix well and let it rest in sim for 5 mins for the rice to get the masala.

Since this tends to be spicy, the cool cucumber raitha goes well.

Cucumber Raitha

Cucumber - 100 gms
Curds - 50 gms
Salt to taste
Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Method to prepare

Wash, peel, and grate the cucumber. Since it has a lot of water, just beat the curds and add to this. Add the salt and pepper and serve with Vangi Bath.

Ragi Papad

These are traditional papad made with Ragi flour. We have a Marwari family for neighbors and one day I saw the aunties tolling over big vessels full of ragi grains. Out of curiosity, asked what they are going to make. I was really surprised when I was told they were preparing papads with Ragi. They also made with Rice flour. If you ask me now for the recipe, I must confess it sounded so very complex to me what they accounted for.

It sounded so laborious and difficult. So they made these and so sweetly gave some for us to taste, I am more than happy to enjoy the result. They said they store these for a year. The papad tasted so yummy, we really couldn't believe it. Konda just snacks on these. One day I think I will muster the courage to ask for the process again and prepare it myself. For now, enjoy the pictures! I googled this but couldn't find anything related to this recipe. So I know how traditional this must be!

The twins for a change indulged us by taking an afternoon nap, with a heavy tummy that was god's gift! And the evening was so pleasant with showers!

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