Easy, Recipes, Vegetarian

Vaangi Bhaat

Born and raised in Mumbai, the food cooked in my house is a combination of traditional Saraswat dishes as well as the Maharashtrian ones. Vaangi Bhaat is a quick fix if you don’t want to eat an elaborate roti-subzi fare per usual.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 Rosa Bianca Eggplants (small-medium)
  • 1-2 Baby Potatoes
  • 1 Cup Rice
  • 3 Cups Water
  • Salt to Taste
  • 2 Onions (medium)
  • 2 Teaspoons Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
  • 1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
  • 1 Teaspoons Red Chili Powder
  • 2 Teaspoons Garam Masala Powder
  • 2 Teaspoons Ginger Garlic Paste
  • Grated Coconut for Garnishing
  • Fresh Coriander for Garnishing

Preparation

Prep: 15 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes

  1. Chop the potatoes and eggplant and soak them in water.
  2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add in the cumin seeds and let them pop. Then add chopped onions and sauté well for 5 minutes. Then add the ginger garlic paste and mix well.
  3. Strain water from the chopped potatoes and eggplant and add them to the pot. Sautee for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add a cup of rice and mix well. Then add turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala and mix well.
  5. Now add 3 cups of water, salt to taste and stir. Cover the pressure cooker and cook the Vaangi Bhaat for 3-4 whistles.
  6. Garnish with grated coconut and freshly chopped coriander.
  7. Serve Vaangi Bhaat with cold raita.

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Divya Vinekar

My name is Divya Vinekar, an ex-digital marketing professional, now a writer, actor and poet by profession. Hailing from a Brahmin family, our cuisine is majorly South Indian with almost every curry based in grated coconut. My love for cooking stemmed from watching my Nani and assisting my Mom in the kitchen. Our traditional recipes are unique yet very versatile when it comes to suiting varied taste buds. Although I have a cook who has been cooking for me for the past 4 years, after my parents passed on, my erratic work schedules did not allow me to enter the kitchen at all. However, since the lockdown, I have rediscovered my cooking skills which my Mom had passed on to me, way back during my college days. It also works as a great stress buster and is somehow reassuring for me on a personal level. It’s a fulfilling life-skill I feel.