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Vangi bath recipe with homemade vangi bath powder. Vangi bath is a popular rice dish from Karnataka cuisine. The term vangi translates to brinjals or egg plant and bhath means cooking together. Vangi bath is a flavorful dish made with brinjals, spice powder, spices & herbs. It is very easy to make & barely takes 10 to 15 mins if you have the cooked white rice ready.
Vangi bath is very popular among the vegetarian community and is made without onion & garlic. Generally it is made with green young brinjals however you can use whatever you have in hand.
To make vangi bath, first brinjals are sauteed in tempering spices and then soft cooked. Then seasoned with spice powder called as vangi bath powder. Lastly it is finished off by mixing it with precooked rice.
There are many brands selling ready vangi bath powder. I have only tried using MTR which is well known for spice powders in the market.
However my today’s recipe is along with the homemade vangi bath powder which can be prepared ahead and refrigerated for few months.
There are numerous ways to make vangi bath. This recipe comes from our Hassan based chef, who used to cook for us during our stay in Bangalore. I have tasted other versions too and but love this version as it is flavorful, delicious and hot.
The vangi bath powder tastes almost like the MTR powder. But MTR doesn’t use channa dal, which I use since I feel it gives an extra flavor. I usually make this when I have few brinjals left and they are not enough to make any side dish.
You may also like these Rice recipes and Brinjal recipes.
More Karnataka Recipes
Tomato bath
Bise bele bath
Akki roti
Nippattu
How to Make Vangi Bath (Stepwise Photos)
Make Vangi Bath Powder
Skip this section if using ready made powder.
1. Dry roast coriander seeds until aromatic. Transfer to a plate.
2. Fry the dals until half done.
3. Then add red chilies and roast until the lentils turn golden.
4. Next put in the cloves, cinnamon, methi and cumin. Roast for 2 mins until the methi seeds turn fragrant. Switch off the stove. You can skip methi seeds but they add aroma to the powder.
5. Cool the ingredients and add to a blender jar.
6. Make a fine powder.
This powder can be used for 2 to 2.5 cups raw rice that serves 4 to 5 people. If you are making only 2 servings, you can scale down the ingredients for the powder.
Make Rice
1. Wash and cook rice al dente in the usual way.
2. Rice must be grainy and not mushy or sticky. Cool completely.
Temper
1. Wash and cut brinjals. Next add them to a bowl of slightly salted water. Set this aside.
2. Next heat oil in a wide heavy bottom pan. Add mustard, cumin, peanuts, chana dal and urad dal. Fry until they turn golden. I went ahead using cumin, bay leaf and cardamoms.
3. Using onions is optional. Add green chili and onions. Then fry till they turn translucent.
4.Transfer brinjals and green peas. Then sprinkle salt. Fry for 2 to 3 mins.
5. Cover and cook till the brinjals are done completely.
6.Add the spice powder.
Make Vangi Bath
7. Mix well. Fry the entire mixture till you get a nice aroma.
8. If you like slightly moist rice, you can sprinkle 2 tbsp water. Then saute for 2 minutes. The mixture turns moist. This step is optional.
9. Next add rice and lemon juice as well. I also prefer a bit of ghee or oil. Mix well. Adjust salt as needed.
Garnish brinjal rice with coriander leaves.
Serve vangi bath with papad and raita.
Pro Tips
- Usually short grain rice – sona masuri is used to make vangi bath. However you can use any variety of rice you have in hand. When I made this rice I did not have sona masuri so I made with basmati rice.
- I have used purple brinjals but actually green brinjals are used to make this dish. So choose whatever you have in hand.
- The key to flavorful dish is the spice powder. So you can either make the powder from my recipe card below or use store bought powder.
- Vangi bath served in karnataka tiffin centers has peanuts & coconut. In some regions, I have seen green peas are used in place of peanuts. So feel free to use what ever you like. You can skip coconut if you do not have.
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Recipe Card
Vangi Bath Recipe With Homemade Powder
Karnataka style vangi bath is a spiced rice dish made with brinjals or eggplants and spice powder. Vangi bath is served without any accompaniment. Plain yogurt, some papads will complement the meal.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Prep Time5 minutes minutes
Cook Time25 minutes minutes
Total Time30 minutes minutes
Servings4
AuthorSwasthi
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 2 cups raw rice /uncooked rice
- 3 tablespoons Oil or as needed
- 1 small onion thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 green chili slit or red chili
- 250 grams brinjals (eggplants, green or purple)
- ½ cup green peas (frozen or fresh boiled) or ¼ cup roasted peanuts
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Lemon juice or 1 tbsp tamarind paste or tamarind soaked in water, as needed
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
To Temper
- 1 sprig curry leaves or 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds or 3 green cardamoms
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera, optional)
- 1 tablespoon chana dal (optional)
- ½ tablespoon urad dal (optional)
For vangi bath powder or use any ready made powder
- 4 to 5 red chilies
- 2 tablespoon Coriander seeds (daniya)
- 1 tablespoon channa dal (bengal gram)
- ½ tablespoon urad dal (skinned black gram)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek seeds, optional)
- 4 cloves (laung)
- 1 small cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 1 tablespoon Dry coconut (copra, optional, adds flavor and taste)
Instructions
Cook Rice
Add rice to a pot or cooker. Wash it well at least thrice and pour water.
Cover and pressure cook for 2 whistles. If using basmati rice then just cook for 1 whistle. (refer notes for details) Do not make the rice mushy. Fluff up the rice and cool this completely.
Make vangi bath powder – Skip if you have powder ready
Dry roast coriander seeds until crunchy and aromatic. Transfer them to a plate.
On a medium to low heat, toast chana dal, urad dal and red chilies until the dal turns golden & aromatic. Lastly add methi, cumin, cloves, and cinnamon. Saute till the methi seeds turn aromatic.
Cool all these completely. Powder them finely in a mixer or grinder.
How to Make Vangi Bath
Add ¼ tsp salt to a bowl of water. Wash brinjals, chop & discard the crowns. Dice them and add to the salted water.
Pour oil to a hot pan. Add in mustard, cumin, chana dal and urad dal.
Fry them until the lentils turn golden. Add the curry leaves, green chilies and onions. Saute till they turn golden or transparent.
Add chopped brinjal, green peas if using and sprinkle salt, turmeric. Fry them for 2 to 3 minutes stirring often. Cook covered on a low to medium heat until fork tender. If the pan is too dry, add a splash of water.
Add vangi bath powder and saute till it begins to smell good. Stir in the tamarind and a few tablespoons of water if the mixture is too dry. Cook for 1 minute and turn off.
Add the cooled rice and squeeze in some lemon juice (if not using tamarind). Mix well to coat the rice with vangi bath masala. Taste test and adjust salt or lemon juice to preference.
Garnish with roasted peanuts if you want. Serve vangi bath hot with some papads and yogurt.
Notes
- Usually sona masuri rice is used. However you can use any rice. I have used basmati rice. Just make sure you use water just as needed to cook the rice al dente. Rice should not be mushy.
- If using Mtr powder, please use as needed. The spice levels in the mtr pack differs from country to country.
- You can choose any variety of brinjal – purple or green. But tender brinjal will taste better.
- You can halve the recipe and make 2 servings.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
Nutrition Facts
Vangi Bath Recipe With Homemade Powder
Amount Per Serving
Calories 511Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 50mg2%
Potassium 453mg13%
Carbohydrates 90g30%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 155IU3%
Vitamin C 13.9mg17%
Calcium 105mg11%
Iron 3.3mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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