Vangibhat with daliya (cracked wheat/bulgar with eggplant)

Vangibhat or eggplant rice is a very popular dish from South Indian state of Karnataka. Now, it is prepared in Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu also. Usually it is rice cooked along with eggplant and special masala. Vangibhat masala is available in stores. But freshly made masala flavor is different. There are many recipes to make the masala. In this recipe, I used minimum ingredients, so that, eggplant flavor dominates!

As diabetics try to eat less rice and try other alternatives to rice, I thought of making vangibhat with daliya. The same can be tried with quinoa also.

Daliya is cracked wheat, available in many Indian stores. Bulgar, which is easily available in USA, is also an equivalent. Daliya/bulgar can be cooked in a pressure cooker or on open heat.

Very tender eggplant tastes good for vangibhat.

Ingredients:

•      1 cup daliya (wheat ravva)
•      6 to 8 vankayalu (baigan/eggplant)
•      1 red chile
•      1/2 tsp. turmeric
•      2 Tbsp. chana dal
•      3 Tbsp. urad dal
•      2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
•      Pinch of hing
•      3 Tbsp. dry grated coconut
•      Salt to taste
•      4 tsp. oil
•      Few curry leaves

Directions:

1.      Roast red chile and chana dal without oil, in a pan.
2.      Add urad dal and coriander seeds
3.      Roast for a few minutes.
4.      When dals are getting brown in color, stop the heat.
5.      Add hing and grated coconut.
6.      Mix well and let the mixture cool.
7.      Clean eggplant and cut them into thin slices.
8.      Cook daliya in a pressure cooker or on open heat.
9.      Fluff it and let it cool.
10.      Grind the dal mixture in a grinder to make a coarse powder.
11.      Place eggplant pieces in a microwave safe bowl, add a spoon of oil and turmeric.
12.      Mix well and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes on high.
13.     Heat oil in a deep pan and add curry leaves and eggplant.
14.     Add dal mixture and mix well.
15.     Add salt and mix well.
16.     Add cooked daliya and stir well.
17.     Reduce heat and let it cook for 8 to 10 minutes, so that daliya gets all the flavors of masala and eggplant.
18.     Add ghee and close the lid.
19.     Turn off heat.
20.     Can be served with carrot raita.