Tendli Vangi Masala Bhat (Gherkin and Eggplant Masala Rice)

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

3 baby brinjal (egg plant/ baigan)

6 tendli (kundru/gherkin)

3 baby potatoes

1/2 cup green peas

1 medium onion, sliced

1 tsp jeera powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp haldi

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/3 cup grated coconut

2 tbsp coriender leaves finely chopped

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp ghee

2 tsp oil

salt to taste

Method:

• Wash rice and soak it in water.
• Slit the brinjal, baby potato and tendli into two keeping the stem (or eye) intact, so that the coconut stuffing can be filled in the slits.
• For the stuffing, to the grated coconut, add coriander powder, jeera powder, haldi, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt, sugar and coriander leaves.
• Stuff the coconut stuffing in the brinjal, baby potatoes and tendli.
• In case there is excess of the stuffing, keep it aside.
• Place a presure cooker on a medium high flame, add the oil and ghee. When the oil and ghee is heated, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add the onion and mix well and cook for a minute. Place the stuffed brinjal, baby potato and tendli and stir fry gently on medium high flame. Add the green peas and remaining coconut stuffing and gently stir fry.
• Drain the rice and add to the vegetables and mix very gently. Add water and salt, give one good gentle stir and cover the lid of the cooker. Cook on high till one whistle. Turn the gas off. Let the pressure drop by itself.
• Once the pressure drops transfer the rice in a serving dish and serve immediately!
  
  

Tips:

• This rice preparation is a traditional Maharashtrian rice. You can also add peanuts to this recipe. You can also replace green peas with peanuts.
• You can make this preparation as only tendli bhat or even only brinjal bhat.
• You can add hing if you like the taste.
• I do not keep any vessel in the cooker i just cook the rice directly in the cooker hence i give only one whistle on high, which is normally sufficient and makes the rice cook to perfection.
• Mix the stuffed vegetables and rice with a gentle hand otherwise the stuffing may leave the slits and spread and the rice may break.
• You can use only ghee or oil, I prefer to use a combination as ghee gives taste and oil gives the gloss to the food.
• Ghee also has less resistance to heat hence the addition of oil increases its resistance.
• If you do not have baby potatoes, you can use normal potatoes, cut them into thick slices and then slit each slice so as to add the stuffing in the slit.
• You can make this rice preparation for any fasting, avoid onion in that case.
• Serve this rice with curd or have it just like that,it tastes divine!