If you are looking for an easy Indian recipe that can be quickly made with limited ingredients then today’s recipe- tomato rice is perfect for you. On busy days when I don’t have enough time to make office lunch, I generally make tomato rice and pack it with a simple salad or raita on the side. It doesn’t need much cutting, chopping and gets ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredient notes
Rice: I have used long grain Indian basmati rice. You can make it with any medium or long-grain rice of your choice. Tomatoes: Use a juicy red variety of tomatoes. Ginger-garlic paste: Finely chopped ginger and garlic can be used too. Curry leaves: Curry leaves give a very nice and distinct flavor to this dish and it won’t taste the same without them. You can use fresh, dried, or frozen. But if you can find fresh curry leaves, nothing like that. If there is no Indian supermarket near you, buy them online, they are available on amazon. Whole spices: I have used bay leaf, mustard seeds, cloves, and black peppercorns. You may add cumin seeds instead of mustard seeds. Also, feel free to add or skip 1-2 Indian whole spices depending upon the availability. Garam masala: Garam masala is a blend of Indian spices. It has a very strong and dominating flavor so add in moderation.
Step 2: Add thinly sliced onion. Step 3: Cook until the onion starts turning brown. Step 4: Add ginger garlic paste and curry leaves. I have used frozen curry leaves which burn very fast so I have added them at this stage. If you are using fresh curry leaves, add them with whole spices. Step 5: Cook until the raw smell of garlic goes away. It will take about a minute. Step 6: Add red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Step 7: Saute for a few seconds. Steps 8, 9, and 10: Add green chilies, tomatoes, ground black pepper, and salt. Step 11: Mix everything and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and are nicely cooked. Step 12: Add rinsed basmati rice. Gently mix everything and cook the rice without water for 1-2 minutes. Step 13: Add chopped cilantro. Steps 14 and 15: Add water and mix. Steps 16 and 17: Cover the pot and cook on a medium flame for around 15 minutes or until the rice is nicely cooked. Step 18: Keep the pan covered for around 5 minutes after switching off the stove. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and fluff rice grains with a fork. Garnish with more fresh cilantro. Your delicious Indian-style tomato rice is ready to be served! It can be served with a simple kachumber salad or any other salad of choice. Non-vegans may also serve it with any raita like pahadi cucumber raita, aloo raita, or beetroot raita. To reheat on a stovetop, add 1-2 teaspoons of oil to a cooking pot. Add tomato rice. Gently saute. Add a few tablespoons of hot water and cover the pot with a lid. Cook on a low flame for a few minutes or until nicely heated. Keep checking and stirring in between.
Recipe
