Rice is a staple in Indian Cuisine. There are many recipes made with rice grains and rice products like rice flour, rice rava (coarsely ground rice). The recipes are both vegetarian and vegan.
Steamed rice is had with many Indian lentils and curry dishes. Apart from steamed rice being cooked in almost every household, there are some other standalone recipes that are exclusively made with rice.
In the southern & eastern part of India, rice is cooked everyday in the mains. While the northern part of India has roti as a regular staple. But in most Indian homes, you will find either roti or rice regularly in their meals.
Ingredients
For Soaking Rice
- 1 cup heaped basmati rice or any regular rice
- water as required
Other Ingredients For Tomato Rice
- 3 tomatoes – medium to large, finely chopped or 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes, tightly packed or 200 grams tomatoes
- 1 onion – medium-sized, finely chopped or ⅓ cup finely chopped onions
- 1.5 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or ½ inch ginger + 5 to 6 medium sized garlic crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- 1 green chilli – chopped
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4 to 5 methi seeds (fenugreek seeds) – optional
- ½ inch cinnamon
- 2 green cardamoms
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 6 to 7 curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder or crushed black pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder (ground cumin)
- ½ tablespoon chopped mint leaves
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves(cilantro leaves)
- 1.75 cups water
- 2 tablespoon oil
- salt as required
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse 1 heaped cup basmati rice or any regular rice for a couple of times in water.
- Then soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Later drain the rice and keep aside.
- Chop the tomatoes, onions and green chillies finely. Peel and crush the ginger-garlic in a mortar pestle. Also, chop the mint and coriander leaves
- Keep aside all the spices required for the rice.
Making Tomato Rice
- In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp oil. Keep the flame to a low and add ½ tsp mustard seeds and crackle them. Then add 4 to 5 methi seeds (fenugreek seeds) and just lightly saute them for a couple of seconds.
- Then add ⅓ cup finely chopped onion and ½ inch cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms and 2 to 3 cloves.
- Stir and saute till the onions turn translucent.
- Then add 1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste, chopped 1 green chili and 6 to 7 curry leaves.
- Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Now add ½ tbsp chopped mint leaves and ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves.
- Stir and saute for a minute.
- Add the finely chopped tomatoes and ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper powder or crushed black pepper, ½ tsp coriander powder and 1 tsp cumin powder. For a lesser spiced version add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste, ¼ tsp red chilli powder and ¼ tsp black pepper powder.
- Stir very well and saute the tomatoes.
- The tomatoes should soften and become pulpy with oil releasing from the sides.
Cooking Tomato Rice
- Add the soaked rice. Stir the rice with the tomato mixture very well. Saute for a minute.
- Add 1.75 cups water. For a more softer consistency in the rice, you can also add 2 cups water.
- Season with salt as per taste.
- Cover and pressure cook tomato rice for 2 whistles on medium flame. About 10 to 11 minutes. To get a softer rice, you can also pressure cook for 3 whistles.
- When the pressure settles down on its own. Then remove the lid and gently fluff the tomato rice.
- Serve tomato rice with appalams or chips or with a side raita.
