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.
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 I am the first generation 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 uses 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 if it is how she usually makes 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😏. I did asked her the recipe, but don’t remember now. I 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. I always wanted to ask the precise measurement she uses, but never got a chance. 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.

Vegetable brinji rice recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 20mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 6 | Author: Raks anand

Click here for cup measurements

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
veg-brinji-rice-recipe

Ingredients

Jeeraga 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 – 3 tbsp, chopped
Fennel seeds (soambu) – 1 tsp

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)

How to prepare brinji rice

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 jeeraga 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.

Step by step pictures

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 completely from rice and add 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.