Tomato rice/ Thakkali sadam (Serves 2)

Behold one of the easiest and tastiest vegetarian one-pot rice preparations. There are many versions to prepare this delicious tomato rice and here is how I roll ! I have used fresh tomatoes and hence the lighter color. If you are a fan of bright red color rice, you may very well  use tomato puree or tomato paste. I always prefer freshly cut tomatoes to preserved ones which tastes much better and feels more natural ! Enjoy!!!

Basmati/ any kind of long grain rice 1 ½ cups
Tomato 3 medium, finely chopped
Red onion 1 medium, finely chopped
Green chilly 1 no, finely chopped
Garlic 2 pods, julienned
Ginger 1 inch piece, julienned
Red chilly powder 1 heaping tsp
Cumin seeds ½ tsp
Roasted pistachios and cashew nuts ¼ cup each
Coriander leaves to garnish
Ghee/Oil 1 TBSP
Salt as needed

Preparation

Wash and soak the rice for about 30 minutes. Drain and cook the rice to the right consistency (it should not be mushy). I generally bring lot of water to rolling boil and then add rice and cook for about 8-10 minutes and drain excess water. Set aside.

Heat Ghee/oil in a deep pan and add cumin seeds. Once they start to crackle, add ginger, garlic and green chilly. Sauté for 2 minutes and add the chopped onions. Sauté this until a golden brown color is developed. Now add the finely chopped tomatoes and mix well. Cook this for about 5 minutes at medium heat. Next add salt and red chilly powder. Combine well with the mixture and cook this until the tomatoes are mushy and formed to a thick paste like consistency. Switch off flame and add the rice. Combine well until no white rice grains are visible. Switch the heat back on at low heat and add the nuts. Mix well to combine and keep stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy with pappad, pickle and yogurt.

Notes: If you like, sprinkle some lime juice and give a good mix before serving.

Cheers!!!
Suji