Tomato Rice Recipe

Tomato Rice recipe is a simple south indian vegetarian recipe and one of my husband's favourite recipes. As the names indicates tomato is the main ingredient in this recipe with onions, rice and spices.

You can also add green peas if you wish but do not add any other vegetables. Increase or decrease the spices depending on how spicy you want the recipe to be. So lets get started!

Tomato Rice Recipe Ingredients

• Tomatoes - 5 large chopped
• Peas - 3/4 cup (Optional)
• Rice (Basmati or Sona Masoori) -  1 1/2 cups
• Onion - 2 medium sized (long slices)
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 3 1/2 to 4 tbsp
• Green Chilies - 4 to 5 nos
• Chilli powder - 1/2 to 1 tbsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Bay leaves - 2 nos
• Cloves or Laung - 5 nos
• Cinnamon - 2 sticks
• Cardamom or ilaichi - 2 nos
• Star anise (What is this?) - 1 nos
• Marathi Moggu - 2 nos
• Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1/3 cup

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Servings: 3-4 people 

Tomato Rice Recipe Cooking Method

1. First wash and soak rice for 15 minutes in water. Drain water and keep it aside.
2. Take a heavy bottom vessel (you can use a pressure cooker as well) and heat the oil on medium heat.
3. When the oil heats up, add Bay leaves, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Star Anise, Marathi Moggu and Kasuri Methi into the vessel.
4. After a minute or so, add vertically sliced green chillies and onions cut into long slices to the vessel. Saute for 8 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
5. Add ginger garlic paste. Stir until the raw smell of the paste no longer exists.
6. Add chopped tomatoes, peas (optional) and turmeric powder to the mixture and stir well.
7. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes turn mushy.
8. Add salt to taste and chilli powder and mix well.
9. Then add water. Bring the contents to boil. Take a few drops of the liquid from the vessel and taste it. Add salt and chilli powder if required to suit your taste requirements.
10. If you are using 1 1/2 cups of Basmati rice then use 2 1/4 cups of water. For other kinds of rice use equal amount of water.
11. Cover the vessel and cook for 15 minutes on low heat and you are done.

The tomato rice is now ready to be served. Serve it hot with raitha. Also check out other Rice recipes.