Brinji rice is a traditional South Indian rice dish that is aromatic and flavorful. It is made by cooking basmati rice with various spices, herbs, and vegetables. The dish is typically garnished with fried onions, cashews, and raisins to add a crunch and sweetness. Brinji rice is often served with raita (yogurt-based side dish) or curry. It is popular during festive occasions and special events in South India.
Brinji Rice
5
servings10
minutes25
minutesBrinji rice is a traditional South Indian concoction made of basmati rice cooked with multiple spices, herbs, and vegetables, which is garnished with fried onions, cashews, and raisins. This aromatic and tasty dish, typically served with raita or curry, is a favorite choice for festive occasions and special events in South India.
Ingredients
Raw Rice – 2 cups
Onion – 2
Tomato – 2
Green Chillies – 4
Fresh Ginger – a small piece
Garlic – 8 cloves
Green Peas – ¼ cup
Carrot – 1
Beans – 4
Potato – 1
Cauliflower florets – ½ cup
Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Ghee or Oil – 8 tablespoons
Bay Leaves – few
Cloves – 4
Cinnamon – few sticks
Salt – 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves – few
Directions
- Rinse the rice thoroughly and let it soak for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the onion lengthwise and slit the green chili. Finely chop the tomato, garlic, and ginger. Prepare the other vegetables by cutting them into medium-sized pieces.
- Place a pressure cooker on the stove and heat the ghee or oil. Once hot, add bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon sticks, and fry them briefly until they start to release their aroma.
- Next, add the onions, green chilies, garlic, and ginger to the cooker. Sauté these ingredients until the onions become transparent. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until they soften.
- Stir in the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt, mixing well. Now, add the chopped vegetables to the cooker and toss everything together so the flavors start to meld.
- Drain the soaked rice and add it to the pressure cooker. Fry it with the rest of the ingredients until it feels warm to the touch.
- Pour in 4 cups of water and close the pressure cooker lid. Cook until you hear two whistles, then turn off the heat and allow the pressure to naturally release before opening the cooker.
- Before serving, sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves for garnish.
Notes
- If you’re using Basmati rice, reduce the water to 3 cups, as it requires less water. For a richer flavor, you can cook the rice in a combination of coconut milk and water, ensuring the total liquid measures 3 cups.
how do i do pulao??? i can't find the recipe for it. but i'm trying the brinji now 🙂
brinji came out awesome.loved it.thanks!!!!
Tried it today and came out awesome.
Your recipe is copied here, with the photo too.
http://nadanswadukal.blogspot.com/2011/08/birinji-rice.html
Hi Aaradhana,
Thank you for your feedback. I am also thankful for informing me that the above recipe is copied from my site without my knowledge and without any reference to my site. I have written to them to remove it from their site. Hope good sense will prevail upon them.
nice thanks bye bye
Hi Kamala,
Tried Brinji rice and its came out very well, i have slightly changed few things, added ginger garlic paste, and used one cup coconut milk, basmathi rice. its goes well with Onion raita.
My next try will be Brinjal Kara Kuzhambu for this week end 🙂 I love to cook, now cooking with enthusiasm,
Thanks for all your effort you put in this site.
Hi Prabha,
Thank you for the feed back. As you rightly made, basmathi rice cooked in coconut milk will definitely enhance the flavour. Please let me know feed back the Kara Kuzhambu.
Hi Kamala,
Thanks for posting this recipe. In my younger days, hotels in Chennai (the one In Ashok Nagar) used to make this rice garnished by Bread Pieces roasted in Ghee. It used to be great. I do not know whether the one you posted comes out with a similar Aroma as the one I had, but I would like you to suggest ways to incorporate Ghee roasted bread pieces in your recipe. I am also going to attempt it myself.
Vaazhga!
Thanks
Hi Ganesh,
Thank you for writing. I am not sure about the hotel rice, but this rice is also have nice aroma. To add the bread pieces, we have to remove the corners from the bread slice and cut it into small squares and then deep fry in oil. We have to add these fried pieces to the cooked brinji rice.
Hello Madam,
I tried most of your dishes and it turns up good. Thanks a lot.
I have difficulty in preparing vegetable biriyani alone. Would be helpful if you could suggest me on this. I followed the below for preparing. Taste wise it comes up good but the bottom layer of rice turns black and that smell spoils the entire rice. Please suggest.
1. Soaked rice for 15 mini (1 cup)
2. Cut vegetables (2 cups)
3. Fried vegetables with Ginger garlic paste
4. After the vegetables are fried, added Curd 100gms and Lemon juice 2 spoons with 4 spoons of Aachi Biriyni Masala and 1 spoon of Garam Masala and mix well for 10 mini.
5. Then added the rice with 2 cups of water and set for 2 cooker whistles.
6. When I turn it off and open its has deep fry smell which spoils the entire rice.
7. Bottom layer of rice in cooker is totally black and cant eat it. entire rice smells bad too.
Hi Mohana,
I think water quantity is not enough. Some variety of rice need more water. Also you have added 2 cups of vegetable, for that you have to add atleast half cup more water. To avoid burning, you can cook it in an Electric Cooker. First fry everything as per your medthod in a tawa and transfer it to the electric cooker and add sufficient water and cook. Or you can fo “Dum Method”.
Thanks madam…
I ll try as per ur instructions and update u shortly.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. i tried it for lunch today and it came out really good. My family loved it. 🙂 i jus cant wait to try out the other recipes too 🙂
Thank you for your feed back.
Hi Kamala mam, i want to see your photo can u upload pls, i am going to try the above said recipe in my house, will reply u how it was tomorrow, take care bye. this is really useful website i love to cook all the recipes.
Thank you Kavitha for your kind words. Please try this recipe and let me know your feed back. Regarding my photo – will upload it soon.
Hi mam, i prepared the Brinji Rice it was nice, in my family also they liked. i will soon try ur other receipes too. thank you mam. photo upload it pls
Thank you Kavitha for your kind feed back.
Hi Kamala
Thank you for this recipe. Most of all I liked the ease of preparation. I made a few errors, like I increased the quantity of water a little as I thought the veges needed some extra for cooking, but I was wrong as the rice became a bit sticky. Next time I would increase the masala items to make it a bit more flavorsome.
Thanks again, for making cooking so easy with your wonderful and clear recipes.
Hi Tasneem,
Water quantity may be increased/decreased depending upon the variety/quality of the rice. Try once more and let me know your feed back.
Hi Madam, Am a great fan of ur recipes. Pls suggest whether v can add milk instead of coconut milk. Awaiting for ur response.
No. Adding ordinary milk will not suit. If you do not want to add coconut milk, you can only use plain water.
Hi aunty, today i tried this recipe and the rice tasted so good .
Thanks for your wonderful recipes.
Thank you Lakshmi for your kind feed back.
Hi Kamala
Made this again with the addition of half a cup of whole lentils. I soaked the lentils and basmati rice for about 30 minutes and made the rice as per your recipe. My husband loved it. Thanks again for your fantastic recipes – so easy and delicious.
Regards
Tasneem
Thank you for your feed back.