Vangi Bath (Aubergine rice)

As a kid, I used to hate aubergines. I used to act sick every time it was made and still remember my mom stuffing me forcefully with it :( . It took a while for me to realise that aubergine when made well is amazing. I had Vangi Bath in a wedding in Chennai. I had no clue what it was and was extremely pre-occupied chattering with my cousins that I did not notice it had aubergines and ate all of it. When I asked for a second helping I realised that it had aubergines and I actually not only ate it but also loved it.
A friend of mine who is a Kannadiga (my best friend) gave the recipe to make Vangi Bath masala which is left back in India now. Therefore, I invented my own Vangi Bath recipe and used MTR powder. One cannot go wrong with something as simple as Vangi Bath.

Ingredients:

Aubergines (Small) - 5-6
Peas - 1/2 cup
Onions - 1 (Finely chopped)
Rice (Cooked) - 1 cup
Vangi Bath masala - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Peanuts (Raw) - 2 tbsp
Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
Jaggery - 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 5-6 leaves
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

• Cook the rice and keep it aside
• Make a paste of jaggery with tamarind in 3 tbsps water and keep aside
• Heat oil in a pan and add peanuts and fry it. Add mustard seeds and urad dal and allow it to crackle. Add the curry leaves and leave for less than a minute
• Add the chopped onions and fry for 2 mins till it turns transparent and to this add aubergines and peas.
• Fry the veggies for 2-3mins and add turmeric powder and salt and allow it to cook for 2-3mins
• To this mixture, add Vangi bath masala, tamarind and jaggery pulp
• Allow this to cook for a minute or two and then add the cooked rice and mix well

Serving suggestion:

• You can serve this with papad or even raitha.

Note:

• You can use other veggies such as carrot, beans etc. 
• Do not add too much water to the tamarind as it will make the rice gooey.