Vangi Bhaat (with some bell peppers and spinach)

After the vaangi bhaat masala powder recipe - it is ofcorse time for some yummy warm vaangi bhaat.
I had to go and twist it a bit. So I added some green and red bell peppers and some spinach too. These peppers were given to me by my ever-loving dear friend Mini - her parents had grown them in their vegetable patch.
We liked this with some cooling cucumber and carrot salad and a bowl of yogurt.
Little Miss A liked it too - even though it was a tad bit spicy for her taste I guess, as she was eating yogurt after every bite of the vaangi bhaat.

If you do not wish to make the masala for storing - but, want to make it just for the one time use - here is what you can do

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon bengal gram/chana dal
1 tablespoon split black gram/urad dal
2 dried kashmiri chiis
2 dried byadgi chilis
1 tablespoon dried coconit slices
10 curry leaves
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 cloves
1 green cardamom
Dry roast all of them together and grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder.

Ingredients

2 cups rice - I used sona masoori
1 teaspoon salt
1 red onion - chopped finely
6 chinese eggplants (they were about 3 cups when chopped)
2 cups chopped spinach
1 tablespoon coconut oil (you can use any other oil too)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
1 chopped green chili (more if you like the heat)
1/2 cup groundnuts
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt to taste
5 tablespoons vaangi bhaat masala

Method

Wash the rice clean. In a saucepan add 6 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Add the 1 teaspoon salt and the rice and let it cook for about 10 minutes or till the rice is cooked through. Drain it into a colander or sieve and let it sit.
In a karahi/wok - add the coconut oil. When it gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the curry leaves, the green chili (if using) and the groundnuts and fry on medium heat till the groundnuts get a golden color. Add the chopped onions and the turmeric and saute till the onions become transparent. Then add the eggplants, green and red peppers and the spinach and mix well. Cover and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Check if the eggplants are cooked through, if not then cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the vaangi bhaat masala and salt to taste and mix it well. Add the cooked rice to this mixture and mix it around with a very light hand so that each grain of rice is coated with the masala. Cover and let it simmer/steam for about 5 minutes.
Serve with yogurt and salad of your choice.