Vegetable brinji rice recipe, seeraga samba brinji

Vegetable brinji rice recipe - step by step pictures - with flavourful masalas, jeeraga samba rice. Learn how to make this easy version without coconut or coconut milk.

This is one of my favorite in the Biryani recipe types. So south Indian, with packed flavors and vegetables.

Inspiration

One of my mami makes this awesome brinji rice, which I just love like anything. I have tasted only once, but the flavour is still lingering in my mind.

If you are a regular reader of my blogger, you might know that, I am the first generation in my home using masalas like cinnamon, fennel, ginger garlic paste in my cooking.

So the first time I tasted her brinji rice, I was totally in love with the flavors.

All I could get about the recipe was, she used coconut in her brinji rice, lots of garlic, ginger and fennel.

And more unique, she uses beetroot in her rice. Surprised?

Yes, I am not sure that's how she usually make it with beetroot or it is added so that the little one in the house eats all the vegetables.

I still remember she told ‘nalla soambu, inji poondu, thatti potal dhane vasanai varum’ when I told no one likes ginger garlic and fennel in my home😏.

Asked her the recipe, but don’t remember now. Have tried few times after that, but the coconut I add somehow makes the rice dry and most of the times gets burnt at the bottom.

Always wanted to ask the precise measurement she uses, but never got a chance.

About

So after I got bored of the regular ways I make biryani, I got jeeraga samba rice few weeks before.

And I wanted to try a biryani with it that is different from the regular one, that tastes more in Tamil nadu style. I chose Kanamma cook’s recipe and posted in my Instagram too.

This week again being long weekend, wanted to cook jeeraga samba rice.

I came up with my own version of the vegetable brinji rice and thought of posting too (Weekend cooking inspiration-blogging/clicking😁).

Though Vegetable brinji rice is mostly made with either coconut milk or coconut based masala, take this as rakskitchen version.

Was skeptical how it would turn out, if it would worth sharing the recipe, but wow, it was super delicious and perfect. 

Variations

Skip ghee and use coconut oil instead for vegan version.

Instead of water, you can use thin coconut milk. Reduce a tablespoon of ghee/ oil in that case.

You can replace seeraga samba rice with basmati rice or chinnigura rice too. In case of basmati, use just 1 & ½ cups water for 1 cup rice.

My notes

• Depending on the rice quality (aged or fresh batch) the water quantity may slightly vary. So take care not to burn or mash the rice.
• I used pot shaped cooker (3.3 liter prestige) and I got only one whistle. So I switched off the stove at 12 mins after closing the lid. If you get 2 whistles before the mentioned time, you can just switch off the stove. 
• I have skipped tempering with fennel as Vj does not like fennel. Just ground along ginger garlic and used.

Top tip

• As soon as you open the cooker and give it a turn with ladle, it tends to get mushy if over stirred. So just turn once or twice delicately. After that, give 5 mins standing time, it will be easy for fluffing. Grains get separated as it gets cooled.
• If you skip this gentle fluff, it may cake, so recommend fluff slightly first.
• Do not reduce or increase oil/ ghee measurement for best results.
• To avoid rice burnt at the bottom, use indolium cooker. This gives best results for direct cooking. Mine is same, but have a red coating outside.

Recipe card

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4.5 from 2 votes

Vegetable brinji rice recipe

Vegetable brinji rice recipe - step by step pictures - with flavourful masalas, jeeraga samba rice. Learn how to make this easy version without coconut or coconut milk.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 6

1x2x3x

Cup measurements

Ingredients

• 2 cups Seeraga samba rice
• 4 cups Mixed vegetables
• 2 Onion
• 2 Tomato
• 6 Green chilli
• ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon Biryani masala powder
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric
• ½ cup Mint leaves
• ½ cup Coriander leaves
• Salt – as needed

To grind

• 15 to 20 cloves Garlic
• 2 tablespoon Ginger chopped
• 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds soambu

To temper

• 2 tablespoon Oil
• 2 tablespoon Ghee
• 1 Star anise
• 1 Inch Cinnamon
• 4 Cloves
• 2 Cardamom
• 2 Brinji leaves Biryani leaf
• 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds optional
• 2 Kal paasi Stone flower

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Instructions

• Wash and soak rice firstly for minimum 10 mins.
• Grind ginger, garlic and fennel seeds into a paste. Add very little water if needed to grind. (I used ¼ cup)
• Take a pressure cooker, add oil, ghee.
• When hot, add star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, brinji leaves, stone flower and fennel seeds if adding.
• Add thinly sliced onion, slit green chillies. Fry till onion turns transparent.
• Add ginger garlic fennel paste and give it a fry for 30 seconds. Oil should separate.
• Add finely chopped tomatoes, chopped mint coriander leaves, red chilli, garam masala, biryani, turmeric powders, along with little salt.
• Fry for a minute or until the oil floats on top.
• Add chopped veggies. Refer notes for tips. Cook for 2 minutes covered in medium flame.
• Drain water from rice and add it to the vegetables.
• Add 3 & ½ cup water, required salt and bring to boil. I add cauliflower at this stage.
• Pressure cook for 2 whistles in medium flame.
• The cooking time should not exceed 12 mins. Once done, open the cooker, carefully turn the biryani once or twice.
• After 5 minutes, it will be easy to fluff properly.

Video

Notes

• If you want, instead of water, you can use thin coconut milk. Reduce a tablespoon of ghee/ oil in that case.
• Mixed vegetables - I used 12 beans, 1 large carrot, 1 large potato, peas and 15 cauliflower florets. I add cauliflower after rice because it gets mushy. (the variety we get in Singapore)
• You can replace seeraga samba rice with basmati rice or chinnigura rice too. In case of basmati, use just 1 & ½ cups water for 1 cup rice.
• I used pot shaped cooker (3.3 liter prestige) and I got only one whistle. So I switched off the stove at 12 mins after closing the lid. If you get 2 whistles before the mentioned time, you can just switch off the stove. 

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Stepwise photos

1. First wash and soak rice for minimum 10 mins. Grind ginger, garlic and fennel seeds into a paste. Add very little water if needed to grind.

2. Take a pressure cooker, add oil, ghee. When hot, add star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, brinji leaves and fennel seeds if adding. Add thinly sliced onion, slit green chillies.

3. Fry till onion turns transparent. Add ginger garlic fennel paste and give it a fry for 30 seconds. Oil should separate.

4. Add finely chopped tomatoes, chopped mint coriander leaves, red chilli, garam masala, biryani, turmeric powders, along with little salt. Fry for a minute or until the oil floats on top.

5. Add chopped veggies. Refer notes for tips. Cook for 2 minutes covered in medium flame.

6. Drain water completely from rice and add to the vegetables.

7. Add 3 & ½ cup water, required salt and bring to boil. I add cauliflower at this stage.

8. Pressure cook for 2 whistles in medium flame. The cooking time should not exceed 12 mins. Once done, open the cooker, carefully turn the biryani once or twice. After 5 minutes, it will be easy to fluff properly.

Serve vegetable brinji hot with vengaya thayir pachadi and some vadams.