Tomato Rice/ Thakkali Sadam is a very delicious Indian rice recipe. It is an extremely flavorful rice dish using ripe red tomatoes and rice.In this simple recipe making Tomato paste, then it is sautéed with spices, then added to Rice.
Bright red tomatoes are the best to get good amount of lycopene, vitamins C, K & A, potassium, and fiber.
INGREDINETS:
- Basmati Rice – 2 cups
- Onion, (medium sized, finely chopped) – 1 no
- Tomato – 2 ,large red tomato
- Green chillies , (finely chopped) – 2
- Ginger, crushed – 2” piece
- Bay leaf – 1
- Cloves – 3 nos
- Cinnamon stick – 1” piece
- Cardamom – 2 nos
- Red chili powder – 1 Tbsp
- Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
- Cumin Powder/Roasted jeera powder – 1/4 tsp
- Coriander leaves (finely chopped for garnish) – 2 Tbsp (optional)
- Salt: to taste
- Oil/Ghee – 1 tbsp
METHOD- Soak basmati rice for 20 minutes, drain the water completely and keep it aside.
- Chop tomatoes and place it in a blender/mixer, blend well to get fine paste. Keep it aside.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom pods. Fry for a few seconds .
- Now add red chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder.
- Add the sliced onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Now add chopped green chillies, crushed ginger and sauté till onions become slightly golden brown.
- Now add the pureed tomato and salt and mix everything well.
- Add the drained rice, 4 cups of hot water (check for salt now by tasting the water) and pressure cook for 2 whistles.When the pressure subsides, open it and fluff it with a fork.
- Garnish the tomato rice with chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve warm with raita or any curry of your choice.
Note::Tomatoes have the capacity to react with Aluminium and therefore should not be cooked in an aluminium vessel. The aluminium leaks in to the tomatoes making it bitter and changing its color. The vessel too gets discolored.
