Gutti Vankaya Pulao
Gutti Vankaya pulao is a Andhra style delicious rice dish made with baby eggplant and rice. Flavorful and easy to make recipe.
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Ingredients
For the Eggplant:
- 10~12 Baby Eggplants*
- ½ cup Plain Yogurt*
- 1~1½ teaspoons Red Chili powder (adjust as per taste preference)
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1½ teaspoons Ground Coriander
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup Fresh Mint, chopped
For the Pulao/ Pilf:
- 1½ cups Basmati Rice, rinsed and soaked in water for 30 minutes
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 4 Cardamom pods
- 3 Cloves
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Shah Jeera
- 1 Large Onion, thinly sliced
- 2~3 Green Chilies, sliced
- 1½ teaspoons Ginger+garlic paste
- ½ cup Soya nuggets or Meal maker, optional
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Mint, chopped
- To taste Salt
Instructions
Prep and Marinate Eggplants:
- Using a sharp knife, cut a '+' on the bottom making sure not to cut it all the way through. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, herbs and salt. Mix well and add eggplant. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
To make Eggplant Rice:
- Cook rice until tender, make sure that the rice doesn't get mushy. Let cool. I cook the rice in the Instant Pot on high pressure/ manual for 5 minutes.
- If using soya nuggets, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes. Then drain and squeeze out the water.
- Heat oil and ghee in a large pan on medium heat; add cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, shah jeera and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Next add the onions, green chilies, ginger+garlic paste and cook until onions are light brown.
- Add the marinated eggplants along with all of the yogurt. Mix well, lower the heat to medium-low and and cook till the eggplants are tender, about 10~15 minutes. If using soy nuggets, then add them to the pan and sauté until lightly browned around the edges.
- Season with salt and add the cooked rice. Mix gently to make sure that the eggplants stay intact. Cover and cook for another 6~8 minutes for the flavors to mingle. Garnish with chopped herbs and serve warm. Enjoy!!
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Notes
- You can use either purple or green Thai baby eggplant. Just make sure to use fresh ones with not too many seeds. Pick eggplant that have bright green stalks and look fresh with no blemishes or marks.
- I love and recommend basmati rice. Gives the best flavor and texture to the recipe. But you can also use other long grain rice.
- Use either full fat or 2% plain yogurt. Greek yogurt is also OK to use here.
- Marinating the eggplant for at least 30 minutes gives it a chance to absorb the flavors. So try not to skip this step and plan accordingly.
- To make the recipe vegan, substitute yogurt with non-dairy yogurt and omit the ghee. Or you can use coconut milk instead of yogurt in the marinade.
- You can also make this into a gutti vankaya biryani - layer the cooked rice over the cooked eggplant, cover and cook for 6~8 minutes on low flame for the flavors to mingle. To serve, get some rice along with the eggplant mixture.
- Instead of soya nuggets/ chunks, add cooked chickpeas or paneer.
- Store leftover eggplant pulao in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 1043mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 416IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 3mg
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