Brinjal Briyani – Flavour-Packed, Aromatic & Perfect for Lunch

 🔥 Flavourful Brinjal Briyani — soft, masala-filled brinjals cooked with aromatic rice for a comforting, restaurant-style briyani at home!

 Brinjal Briyani (Homestyle Version)

This delicious briyani uses small brinjals marinated in a freshly ground masala loaded with tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, and fragrant whole spices.
Slow dum cooking helps the flavours seep into every grain of rice, giving you a rich, wholesome and aromatic one-pot meal.

Perfect for lunch, dinner or festive weekends — especially for brinjal lovers!

 Recipe Overview

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Resting Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Serves: 4
• Cuisine: South Indian
• Course: Main

 ⭐ Ingredients

 ✅ Masala Paste

• Tomato – 1 (roughly chopped)
• Small onion – 5 to 6
• Medium onion – 1
• Garlic – 5–6 cloves
• Ginger – 1 to 1.5 inch
• Green chillies – 4–5
• Clove – 2
• Cinnamon – small piece
• Star anise – 1
• Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Kashmiri red chilli powder – ½ tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Mint leaves – 10–12
• Coriander leaves – ¼ cup
• Water – only if needed to grind

 ✅ Marination

• Ground masala paste
• Curd – 2 tbsp
• Salt – as required
• Brinjal – 10–12 small (slit into 4 cuts at the bottom; stem intact)

 ✅ For Briyani

• Basmati rice – 1 cup (soaked for 30 min)
• Sesame oil – 50 ml (5–6 tbsp)
• Whole spices – bay leaf, clove, cinnamon, star anise
• Onion – 1, finely chopped
• Mint leaves – handful
• Coriander leaves – handful
• Saffron – soaked in warm milk
• Salt – as needed
• Water – for cooking rice

 👩‍🍳 Method

 Step 1: Prepare the Masala Paste

1. Add tomato, onions, garlic, ginger, green chilies, clove, cinnamon, star anise, fennel, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, mint and coriander leaves to a mixer.
2. Grind into a smooth paste using very little water.

 Step 2: Marinate the Brinjals

1. Add the ground masala to a bowl and mix in curd and salt.
2. Add slit brinjals and coat well, ensuring masala gets inside the cuts.
3. Rest for 30 minutes.

 Step 3: Cook the Brinjal Masala

1. Heat sesame oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.
2. Add whole spices and chopped onions.
3. Saute until onions turn golden brown & slightly crispy.
4. Add marinated brinjals along with the masala.
5. Cook covered until brinjals soften and oil begins to release.
6. Add more mint & coriander leaves and adjust salt.

 Step 4: Cook Rice (75–80% done)

1. Cook soaked basmati rice with fresh water, salt, and a few mint leaves.
2. Stop when the rice is 80% cooked – soft outside, slightly firm inside.

 Step 5: Layer the Briyani

1. Add partially cooked rice to the brinjal mixture gently using a ladle so some rice water goes in.
2. Spread evenly without pressing.
3. Drizzle saffron milk.
4. Add extra mint and coriander leaves.
5. Check moisture — a little water at the bottom ensures perfect dum.

 Step 6: Dum Cooking

1. Place the briyani pot over a dosa tawa.
2. Cover tightly and place weight over the lid.
3. Cook on low flame for 20–25 minutes.
4. Open and fluff gently. Rice should be fully cooked with no extra moisture.

 🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Serve hot with:

• Onion raita
• Boondi raita
• Cucumber mint raita
• Papad or simple salad

A squeeze of lemon enhances the flavour beautifully!

 💡 Tips

• Brinjals must be slit but stem intact to hold shape.
• Avoid adding too much water to masala — brinjals cook best in thick gravy.
• Cook rice only till 75–80% before layering.
• Dum on tawa gives the best restaurant-style aroma.
• Use sesame oil for the most authentic flavour.

 🔄 Variations

 🥗 Nutritional Benefits

• Brinjal is rich in fibre and supports digestion
• Lower oil content makes this biryani comparatively light
• Herbs like mint and coriander aid digestion & freshness
• Balanced mix of carbs, antioxidants, and minerals
• Good option for lunchbox and weekend meals

 🧊 Storage

• Best enjoyed fresh
• Can store in fridge for 1 day
• Reheat by sprinkling little water and heating covered on low flame
• Avoid freezing — brinjals may turn mushy

A briyani that’s rich, aromatic, comforting and perfect for brinjal lovers! 💛
Try it and share your experience! ✨

 🎥 Video Tutorial