Recipe for South Indian style tomato rice. Bachelor friendly recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures.
This recipe is from my cook Kavitha. She had learnt it from her best friend Leelama who was a care taker in the house where Kavitha worked. Leelama, now works as a nanny in Hong Kong. Whenever I am busy or “read lazy”, I ask her to cook this tomato rice with potato or ladies finger roast. It makes for a simple satisfying lunch. Its a very bachelor friendly recipe too. Do try it at home.
This recipe is made with par-boiled rice like ponni rice variety. I have a tip for cooking rice that stays fluffy and does not become mushy. The secret for fluffy rice is to soak the rice in water for at least half an hour. I add 2.5 cups of water for every cup of soaked and drained rice. Cook the rice in the pressure cooker for exactly 3 whistles and allow the pressure from the cooker to release naturally. Set aside the cooked rice to completely cool.
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the spices.
Add in the sliced onions, salt and the crushed ginger and garlic. I have crushed the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle. If you are pressed for time, feel free to use ready made ginger garlic paste. Saute the onions for five minutes. Adding the salt along with the onions will make the onions sweat faster and will cook fast.
Add in the masala powders. We will add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and pepper powder. Saute for a minute.
Grind the tomatoes in a mixie jar to a puree.
Add the tomato puree to the pan.
Wash the mixie with half a cup of water and add it to the pan. Slit the green chillies and add it to the pan.
Close the pan with a lid and simmer for ten minutes on a low flame. Saute till the mixture is semi dry.
Add in the rice and coriander leaves. Mix well and switch off the flame.
Serve with a simple potato roast.
- ½ inch pieces cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fennel leaves
- 1 cup Rice (see above)
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 cup onions, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic
- ½ inch piece ginger
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder (adjust according to taste)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 3 tomatoes (preferably country tomatoes)
- 1-2 green chillies, slit
- 2 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped
- Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the spices.
- Add in the sliced onions, salt and the crushed ginger and garlic. I have crushed the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle. If you are pressed for time, feel free to use ready made ginger garlic paste. Saute the onions for five minutes. Adding the salt along with the onions will make the onions sweat faster and will cook fast.
- Add in the masala powders. We will add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and pepper powder. Saute for a minute.
- Grind the tomatoes in a mixie jar to a puree.
- Add the tomato puree to the pan.
- Wash the mixie with half a cup of water and add it to the pan. Slit the green chillies and add it to the pan.
- Close the pan with a lid and simmer for ten minutes on a low flame. Saute till the mixture is semi dry.
- Add in the rice and coriander leaves. Mix well and switch off the flame.
- Serve hot.
What is the quantity of rice we can add for this quantity of tomato masala?
I have used 1 cup parboiled rice cooked with 3 cups water.