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.

Story:

Jump to RecipeOne 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 flavours. 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.

Coming to today’s recipe:

So after I got bored of the regular ways I make biryani, I got jeeraga samba rice few weeks before and 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 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.  Please read notes as I have shared important tips.

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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 20 minutes

Servings 6

Cup measurements

Ingredients

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

To grind

• Garlic – 15 flakes
• Ginger – 2 tbsp chopped
• Fennel seeds – 1 tsp soambu

To temper

• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Star anise – 1
• Cinnamon – 1 inch
• Cloves– 4
• Cardamom – 2
• Brinji leaves - 2
• Fennel seeds – 1 tsp optional

Instructions

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 & 1/2 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.

Notes

• If you want, instead of water, you can use thin coconut milk. Reduce a tbsp 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 & 1/2 cups water for 1 cup rice.
• 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. 
• 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. But when you give 5 mins standing time, it will be easy for fluffing. Grains get separated as it gets cooled.
• Do not reduce or increase oil/ ghee measurement for best results.
• I have skipped tempering with fennel as Vj does not like fennel. Just ground along ginger garlic and used.
• Take the cooker off the stove once it is done. Transfer to broader vessel if needed.

How to make veg brinji rice step by step pictures:

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 & 1/2 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 hot with vengaya thayir pachadi and some vadams.