This rice is from the southern state of Karnataka in India. But it is equally popular in other parts of South India including Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh where the heat level is much more. The eggplants are roasted in a spice mixture and then cooked in a tangy tamarind concoction which is then mixed with rice.  The tamarind is not traditionally used but it adds an UNRIVALED tang to the rice.

Eggplants are known by the name “Brinjal” in India.  Call it eggplant or aubergine or brinjal.  The flavor is phenomenal, if treated in the right way.  As a kid, eggplants were in my hate-list. I think it is more of an acquired taste or adult taste. I looked upon it with hatred – when served to me – because it reminded me of leaches. Those pesky creatures that creep up all over the moist areas during and after the monsoon – on the outer walls of my house, bathroom floors and on the trees!!  So, eating even a teeny bit of the vegetable would make me sea-sick (if you know what I wanted to avoid saying here!).  Now, I advise my son to eat the same thing. And he refuses. Life is a full 360°!

I always prefer to use Graffiti Eggplant which is more flavorful like the “Naama Kaththarikkai” (from Tamil Nadu) which translates to “Striped Eggplant”. I really miss the tender graffiti eggplants from Chennai.  Other varieties could also be used like the smaller teardrop-shaped purple ones or the long green ones. Whichever variety you choose, make sure it is fresh and that you use it within a day of buying it.

As for South Indian rice varieties, I always use Ponni Raw rice.  I will not use Basmati for this recipe because the eggplant & spices are the stars here and not the rice. The flavor of Basmati is quite distracting.

For the Spice powder:

¼ tsp mustard seeds
½ tablespoon Channa dal
½ tablespoon Urad dal
½ inch cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
¼ cup of fresh grated coconut
2 long red chillies

In about ½ teaspoon of oil, roast all the above ingredients in the order given. Blend to a coarse powder. You will need about 2 tablespoons of this, for the recipe. Store the rest in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to a month. This powder will double up as Sambhar powder and Curry powder.

For the Rice:

1 cup short-grain rice or long-grain rice (do not use Basmati)

Cook rice with 2 – 2.5 cups of water according to the variety of rice that you use. The rice should not be mushy but slightly moist and yet each grain should be separate.  After the rice is cooked, transfer to a large platter and cool to room temperature. Separate the grains with a fork.

For the Eggplants:

1 pound Eggplants (preferably tender ones)
Table salt, as needed

Have a large bowl of salted water ready.  Dice eggplants or slice or quarter them (it’s your choice). I prefer the size of diced eggplants. Soak them in the saline water for 15-30 minutes. This removes the bitterness from the eggplants, if any and also draws out extra moisture from them so you could roast them better. Pat them dry gently using a clean kitchen towel.

For the seasoning:

Cherry-sized piece of Tamarind
2 Tablespoons neutral cooking oil (Sunflower oil / Safflower oil / Rice bran oil)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
½ tsp Channa dal
½ tsp Urad dal
¼ cup of raw peanuts
¼ cup of raw cashewnuts, chopped (optional, I skipped it)
1 long red chilli (use whole without trimming)
¼ teaspoon Asafoetida powder
¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
A sprig of curry leaves
2 Tablespoons Sesame oil (from Indian grocery store)
½ inch ginger
2 cloves of garlic
A few stems of cilantro, trimmed and chopped
Salt, to taste

Soak tamarind in ½ cup hot water. After 15 minutes, mash the tamarind with your fingers, strain and squeeze out the pulp. This is the tamarind juice. In a small saucepan, add the juice and simmer until reduced to half. This removes the raw smell of the tamarind and enhances its tangy flavor.

Grind / pound ginger and garlic together to a paste.

Preheat a large skillet or pan, heat the cooking oil and when oil is hot, add mustard seeds and when it splutters, add the ingredients in the order given along with the ginger-garlic paste and fry until fragrant (do not let anything burn). Add the sesame oil and eggplants and saute until the vegetable is roasted, glossy and shriveled.  Mix in about 2 Tablespoons of the spice powder prepared as above and sauté for a couple of minutes more. Add a teaspoon of salt at this point. Add more as needed at each stage.

Add the reduced tamarind juice and cook for a couple more minutes.

Add the cooked rice and stir everything together, gently, until the rice is evenly coated with the spicy mixture.  Sauté on low heat for a few more minutes until the rice absorbs all the flavors taking care not to make it mushy.  Finally, add the chopped cilantro, mix and remove from heat.  Taste to check the salt level.  Add more only if needed.

Serve hot with deep-fried poppadums (or appalams or vadaams).