Brinji Rice also called Brinji Sadam is a delicious one pot dish made with spices, herbs, coconut milk, rice and mix veggies. A special rice dish from the state of Tamil Nadu.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: South Indian, Tamil Nadu

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups basmati rice (or seeraga samba rice)
  • enough water (- for soaking rice)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
  • 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
  • 2 to 3 green chilies (- chopped or 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped green chillies)
  • 2 inch ginger (or 2 teaspoons chopped ginger)
  • 6 to 7 garlic cloves (medium-sized, or 2 teaspoons chopped garlic)
  • 1 tablespoon grated coconut
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons water (or add as required)
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 green cardamoms
  • 1 tej patta (- large or 2 to 3 small tej patta (brinji elai or brinji leaf))
  • ½ cup sliced onions (or 1 medium onion, thinly sliced)
  • ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes (or 1 medium tomato, chopped)
  • ½ to ¾ cup chopped cauliflower
  • ½ cup chopped carrots
  • ½ cup chopped potato
  • ⅓ cup chopped capsicum ((green bell pepper))
  • ⅓ cup green peas (- fresh or frozen)
  • ¼ cup chopped french beans
  • 2 cups Coconut Milk
  • ½ cup water
  • salt (as required)

Method

For soaking rice

  1. Rinse basmati rice very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. Then soak rice in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes.
  2. After 20 to 30 minutes, drain all the water and keep aside.

Preparation

  1. In a small grinder jar take chopped coriander leaves, chopped mint leaves, green chilies, chopped ginger, chopped garlic and grated coconut.
  2. Add 1 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms and ½ teaspoon fennel seeds.
  3. Add 4 to 5 tablespoons water and grind to a fine and smooth green masala paste. Set aside.

Making brinji rice

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker. You can also use ghee instead of oil.
  2. First add tej patta. Immediately add 1 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves and 1 green cardamom.
  3. Fry spices for a few seconds till they become aromatic.
  4. Then add ½ cup sliced onions. Stir and mix.
  5. Stirring often, sauté onions till they turn translucent or light brown on medium-low to medium heat.
  6. Then add ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes. Mix well and begin to sauté tomatoes on medium-low heat till they soften.
  7. Now add the ground green masala paste. Mix again and begin to sauté masala on a low heat till you see oil releasing from the sides of the masala paste or when you see oil specks at the top of the masala.
  8. Then add all of the chopped veggies. Mix very well and sauté veggies for a minute on low to medium-low heat.
  9. Then add the rice. Gently mix rice grains with the veggies.
  10. Now add 2 cups of coconut milk.
  11. Add ½ cup of water. If you use very thick coconut milk, then add ¾ cup water.
  12. Season with salt as required. stir and mix well. Check the taste of water and it should be slightly salty. If not, then add some more salt.
  13. Pressure cook on medium heat for 8 minutes or 1 to 2 whistles. When pressure drops down on its own, open the lid of the cooker.
  14. Gently fluff the rice and mix so that the top coconut milk layer gets mixed evenly with the bottom rice layer. Mix gently and do not over do.
  15. Serve veg Brinji Rice with any raita of your choice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.