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24th June 2016

Easy Homemade Tomato Rice

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South Indian Tomato Rice is a quick and easy One Pot Meal made with a handful of ingredients. Serve as a delicious midweek meal recipe or to pack for your lunch boxes.

Tomato Rice

ABOUT THIS EASY TOMATO RICE RECIPE

Tomato rice is also known as Thakkali Sadam in Tamil language. It is also a firm favorite of many, hailing from Tamil Nadu in India.

Not only is this Tomato rice delicious, it is quick, easy and healthy too. Serve this rice with Potato Crisps, Raita and salad for a super hit combination.

Scanning through my laser eyes, I was looking for super quick ingredients to make up for the family meal. Washed and Drained the rice. I picked a few tomatoes off the vine  and together I knew it’s going to be Tomato Rice. One pot meal with very minimal spices and basic ingredients from the pantry is all that is needed to make Tomato Rice. Served them with Salad, Onion Raitha & Chips.

Tomato Rice

My Boy has got some sort of weird mind block with Tomatoes. He doesn’t mind Ketchup, a curry, tomato based gravy but not tomatoes in pieces. While making Tomato rice today, my motive was to get the kiddos eat without being any grumpy.  Sigh !! Can there be no traces of tomatoes in Tomato Rice? Impossible – kind off.  He enjoyed his platter dunking the rice in lots of yoghurt and crisps, with carefully leaving little remanence of tomatoes at the edge of the plate.

Still feeling totally accomplished when a picky eater enjoys the platter rather than wooing. I have one more reason to work on this post unexpectedly 🙂 My new boards had to be shown off. For the last 10 days, it has been raining most of the time with a cast of grey clouds. I ended up painting this board to depicting my mood.  So so glad about the final outcome of the prop board. How do u guys like it? Do let me know .

Tomato Rice

For more Rice varities, check out my alternative recipe for Tomato Rice with Anjum Anand, Vegetable Biryani, Layered Veg Biryani, Veg Fried Rice, Pulao Rice and Mint-Coriander Pulao Rice

TOMATO RICE

Total Time Taken: 40 minutes | Serves 4-5

Tomato Rice

Ingredients
1.5 Cup of Basmati Rice
4 Small Tomatoes or 1 Cup of chopped tomatoes
1 Medium sized Onion finely chopped
1 Green Chilly finely chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic
1″ Ginger
2 Tb spn of finely chopped mint leaves
2 Tb spn of finely chopped coriander leaves
2.75 Cups of Water

1/2 Cup of Frozen Green Peas

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 Tsp Coriander Powder
3/4 Tsp Black Pepper Powder
Salt as needed

Tempering
2 Tsp Oil
3/4 Tsp Mustard Seeds
1/4 Tsp Fenugreek Seeds ( Methi Seeds)
1 Sprig of Curry Leaves

Garnish
Coriander leaves
Mint Leaves

Directions
Wash the rice, Drain and set it aside at least for 20 minutes.
In the meanwhile, prepare the base for Tomato Rice. Chop the tomatoes, onions, green chillies finely. Peel the Garlic cloves and make a paste of Garlic and Ginger together.

Heat 2 Tsp of Oil, add mustard seeds and allow it splutter. Add Fenugreek seeds followed by curry leaves. Saute for 30 seconds and add 1/2 of Ginger Garlic Paste and green chillies. Saute until the raw smell begins to eliminate.
Add onions along with a pinch of salt and saute until translucent. Add chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and saute again.
Add Tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and black pepper powder. Saute them all until the tomatoes get soft and the whole mixture begins to leave the side of the pan. Add the green peas and stir in well.

Add the Rice, remaining ginger garlic , water and allow the rice to cook in medium flame. Adjust salt to taste.Once all the water is nearly evaporated, cover the pot with a lid and cook for another 5 minutes in low flame. Turn off the gas and set aside.
Garnish with coriander leaves and mint leaves. Server with Onion Raitha, Chips and Salad.

Notes:
If you are cooking for kids or would like it less spicier, omit the green chillies and reduce the amount of red chilly powder.

Tomato Rice

Easy Homemade Tomato Rice

4.78 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Sandhya Hariharan
Quick and easy South Indian Tomato rice recipe – perfect for midweek meals and for lunch on the go. Serve with poppadoms and cucumber raita.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Basmati Rice
  • 1 1/2 Cup Water
  • 1 Cup Tomatoes diced
  • 1 Medium sized Onion finely chopped
  • 1 Green Chilly finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 2 Tbsp mint leaves
  • 2 Tbsp coriander leaves
  • 1/2 Cup Frozen Green Peas Optional
  • 1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Ground coriander
  • 3/4 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • Salt as needed

Tempering

  • 2 Tsp Sunflower Oil
  • 3/4 Tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 1/4 Tsp Fenugreek Seeds Methi Seeds
  • 10 Curry Leaves

Garnish

  • Coriander leaves
  • Mint Leaves

Instructions

  • Wash the rice until clear and soak in water for 20 minutes. Drain before use.
  • Heat 2 Tsp of Oil, add mustard seeds and allow it splutter. Add Fenugreek seeds followed by curry leaves. Saute for 30 seconds.
  • Add Ginger Garlic Paste, green chilly, onion and Saute until the raw smell begins to eliminate. This can take upto 5 minutes.
  • Add chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and saute again.
  • Now add Tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and black pepper powder. Saute them all until the tomatoes get soft and mushy. Add the green peas and stir in well. ( this is optional )
  • Add the Rice,water and stir to combine. Allow the rice to cook in medium flame. .Once all the water is nearly evaporated, cover the pot with a lid and cook for another 5 minutes in low flame. Turn off the gas and set aside.
  • Open the pan, fluff the rice. Garnish with coriander leaves and mint leaves. Serve with Raitha, Crisps or Papad and Salad.

Notes

If you are cooking for kids or would like it less spicier, omit the green chillies and reduce the amount of red chilly powder.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: indian rice, rice, tomato
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhyaskitchen and Hashtag #sandhyaskitchen!

Filed Under: Rice Dishes Recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nandita says

    24th June 2016 at 8:19 am

    Tomato rice looks gorgeous!! I make this rice atleast once in a fortnight!! After seeing yours, I am wondering why I haven’t posted it myself. 😉

    Reply
    • Sandhya Hariharan says

      24th June 2016 at 9:09 am

      Thanks Nandita. Often we leave the comfort food for later… I will look forward to reading your post .

      Reply
  2. Jayasri says

    24th June 2016 at 9:52 am

    5 stars
    Beautiful clicks Sandy, I make this often, because it’s a quick meal to make as you said. But, me personally love all kind of rices. Funnily my twin daughter is just like your son!! She doesn’t like to Tomato pieces in anything. Most of the time I grind it.

    Reply
  3. Jyothi@currytrail.in says

    24th June 2016 at 11:19 am

    5 stars
    Pass that bowl sandy.. I am a huge fan of tomato rice and potato chips..oooo i’m hungry now! 😛 New board – gorgeous!

    Reply
  4. Remya says

    24th June 2016 at 3:05 pm

    5 stars
    Beautiful pics……! I ate tomato rice only during hostel days. Now I feel to make it one day and taste it as our home meal…… Ur tomato rice is tempting me to do that…. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Binjal's VEG Kitchen says

    24th June 2016 at 4:15 pm

    5 stars
    Looks so amazing and that board <3 !!! pinned it!

    Reply
  6. Janani Rakesh Kumar says

    24th June 2016 at 5:55 pm

    5 stars
    I love tomato rice sandhya! light and comforting! Lovely clicks and the new prop board – simply beautiful!

    Reply
  7. Meena Kumar says

    25th June 2016 at 2:52 am

    5 stars
    Such pretty looking takkali sadam each grain is separate and everything is so crisp clear.
    Picky eater’s moms woes hmm hear u.
    The board is gorgeous.

    Reply
  8. Anupa Joseph says

    25th June 2016 at 11:42 am

    5 stars
    We go for flavoured rice on most weekdays for lunch…I find it easy to bring in variety stuff for my toddler to feed on without any fuss. the tomato rice looks awesome… and pairing it with potato chips is one favorite combo here too…love the board..

    Reply
    • Sandhya Hariharan says

      27th June 2016 at 12:32 pm

      So true Anupa. Flavoured rice is really easy without having so many sides tooo.

      Reply
  9. Sandhya Hariharan says

    27th June 2016 at 12:32 pm

    Thanks Meena…;)

    Reply
  10. Carina Simeon says

    6th August 2016 at 5:59 am

    5 stars
    Namaskaram Sandhya – beautiful post, as always and superb photos. I ‘envy’ you for your prop-board, this came out really well!! Did you sponge this?? The other thing is, that in all my 14 years now here in Kerala I never had Tomato Rice – but!!! this is going to change now (like: today!) 🙂
    Thank you for putting this recipe up for us. Carina

    Reply
    • Sandhya Hariharan says

      25th August 2016 at 11:26 am

      Namaskaram Carina !! I really loved the greetings coming in Tamil. Tomato Rice is quite an adapted recipe by people in SOuth India to mix and match flavors to suit their palette. I hope you enjoy making this.

      Coming to the Prop Board, yes its sponge dabbed 🙂

      Reply

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HEY, NICE TO MEET YOU! Hi, I am Sandhya: - a former IT Engineer now Food Blogger. We live in London and my favorite things are Chocolate, Camera and long walks.

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