Tomato Rice is a quick one pot meal loaded with tomatoes, warm spices and of course rice! Yu can make with uncooked rice or even with left over rice. Paired with raita, and some pickle on the side, this rice dish is a great meal for busy days.
Tomato Rice is an easy One Pot Meal
Often, I don’t follow a strict rule with such one pot rice dishes. I like to go with the flow and even change the spices based on how I want it that day. The spices for the Tomato Rice can be changed accordingly.
Adding Idli Podi to Tomato Rice!
Today, I prepared the Tomato rice using south Indian Idli Podi as the spice mix. My friend in her last visit gave us a big batch of her homemade idli podi. We have been enjoying it a lot with dosa and idli, but occasionally I am adding it in my quick rice dishes too.
With very minimal effort it adds a warm flavor to the dish. Idli podi is easily available in any Indian store or online in Amazon.
I am not claiming this Tomato Rice recipe to be authentic. It is just one of the many ways I like to prepare it. And if you don’t have idli podi, you can use your choice of spices too.
Canned or Fresh Tomatoes?
Typically, tomato rice is prepared with fresh tomatoes and I did the same. But you can use canned ones too. Just don’t use puree or else you will mix out of the texture.
Also, if you choose canned tomato, then definitely adjust the seasoning accordingly. You might need to add more sugar to cut down on the tartness.
When I first started to understand South Indian food culture, I was amazed at the variety of rice dishes they have. The crunchy peanuts with the fried curry leaves, this rice dish is flavor bomb with lots of texture.
We pair it with yogurt and a fried curd chilli (another south Indian specialty that I always stock from Indian stores)
Tomato Rice
Ingredients
- ¼ cup peanuts
- handful of curry leaves
- 1 green chili
- 1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
- 1 small red onion (6 oz, finely chopped)
- 3 red tomatoes (finely chopped ( about 6 oz each) (I also added some cherry tomatoes from my garden))
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon Idli Podi
- 1 cup white basmati rice
- 2 cups water (you might need less water if you are using short grain rice)
- 1 tablepsoon ghee
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- In a wok at medium heat, pour the oil. Once it heats up, add the peanuts and half of the curry leaves. Fry intil crispy and then take it off to a bowl.
- To the same wok, add the ghee along with black mustard seeds, chopped green chili, chopped curry leaves and ginger. Stir for about 30 seconds.
- Scatter the red onion along with salt and cook it for couple minutes. Then add the tomato, sugar and stir. Cook for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are soften.
- Add the Idli podi and mix it around.
- Then add the washed rice, along with the water and give it a stir. Bring it to boil then bring the heat to medium and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the rice it cooked. Do stir once or twice in between.
- Garnish the cooked rice with the fried peanurs and curry leaves.
- Serve warm with raita.
Notes
Preparing the dish with leftover rice
You can prepare the same dish using left over rice too. In which case you will not add water. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add the left over rice and stir it aorund to incorporae everything.Substitute for Idli Podi
I used Idli podi to prepare the Tomato Rice, but you can use your choice of spices too. A mix of cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powde will work great too.
Alice
This looks yummy. I don't always need rice as an accompaniment, but sometimes it is the best comfort food - always so filling and nourishing. Thank you for sharing such a flavourful recipe.
Candace
Omygoodness! This looks fabulous! I don't know what some of the things are that you added; but I just know that it would taste fantastic. I would love to give this a try. I'm going to have to Google some of the ingredients to see what they are to see if I can find them around here. I absolutely love the photos that you have taken to go along with the recipe. The one of the tomatos is my favorite. Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today and calling my attention to your blog. I'm going to look around some more at your wonderful recipes and add your blog to my Reader so that I don't miss a thing. Have a great week, Candace
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Oh that is just scrumptious!! Everything that's in it is yummylicious!! What a beautiful meal... didn't think that rice could look that good! 🙂
Maria @ Scandifoodie
This sounds so aromatic and tasty! Gorgeous recipe!
Kausambi@ColoredGrains
Awesome ! My all time fav fav lunch 🙂
Lauren @ L-Mo Cooks
oooh, wow. This looks so good! I'm not a huge fan of rice either, but tomato rice has always been a good way to get me to eat it. I've never had it like this, though. It sounds marvelous!
sonia
Hi Kankana, The Rice is looking absolutely delightful. Very nicely made and presented. Its always fun to see ur appetizing recipes. I wud love to give ur version a try on the coming weekend. Have a great day !
Anzelle
Looks good! I have to ask for some clarifications/substitutions again, though. I've never heard of chana daal or urad dal, what are they, and is there anything I can use in their place if our shops should prove lacking?
Kankana Saxena
I emailed you dear about your queries .. let me know if it helps !
Miriam
Ooo, that rice looks exquisite! I love all the flavor! Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
the food doctor
You are truly talanted when it comes to photography..
bookmarking this as a must try..it sounds and looks YUMMY!
Vimitha
My favorite one pot lunch box recipe... Looks flavorful and yum
A little bit of everything
your photos always blow me away. you're a wonderful photographer. you should open your own photo studio if you haven't yet.
the rice looks great. hubby loves white plain rice and i always add some veggies to it. LOL
thanks for sharing
Alea Milham
This looks amazing! I have no idea how your mom made all those dishes either, but I sure would enjoy being a guest!
yummychunklet
This rice dish looks amazing! I love the look of the juicy, vine tomatoes. Great post!
Kristi Rimkus
I am always amazed by your pictures. You have such an eye for the camera!
Kristi
daksha
Looks awesome and love the colour, ur snaps r so perfect.
tigerfish
I so love this rice! It has my fav. ingredient - tomato and fav. spices!
I could never cook a feast too. Best to have one-pot, one-plate and one-bowl of everything! Heee heee...I only cook rice with other side dishes like once a week 😛
Tanvi
I always thought of this as a southindian meal.Even at my bong inlaws house, we mostly have plain rice.But this is a yum dish for all those lazy days.Love the light red color!
Soma
The luxury of having 5 sides + chutney has been long gone:-( only one pot kinda meals or just dal and one subzi. After so many years, i still have a tough time eating this way. Looks lovely. Tomato rice is a staple inb our hoe too, only i cheat & use v8 most of the times:) (Shsssh...)
briarrose
Excellent side dish....I could eat this one often I think. Wonderful flavoring.