A Quick Tomato Rice Lunch/Dinner

Tomato rice. From the name it appears to be a simple, self-explanatory dish. It has tomato and rice, but not just that. I usually make it south-Indian style and often when I don’t know what else to make. It is tough to whizz up new, interesting recipes everyday, when there are two meals to cook. I know! Sounds (boastful and) like we live super healthy. Of course we don’t!

Anyway, coming back to the dish. I re-discovered this recipe when it was an oft-repeated request from my cohabitant in reply to my constant quest for dinner or lunch ideas. By now, I’ve made it several times, sometimes with additions like sambar masala, leftover tomato salsa or even tomato ketchup. And each time I have found that it is simple enough to prepare in 15 mins and needs ingredients that I almost always have in the house.

It makes for a lovely lunch or a light dinner if you’re not too hungry made all the more satisfying with some south Indian filter coffee and poppadom.

Here’s how you can make this quick and easy South Indian style Tomato rice!

Ingredients

• 1 and a half cups of rice (Boiled and strained)
• onion, 1 large
• A sprig of curry leaves
• 3 large tomatoes chopped or puréed (Don’t be stingy, it’s TOMATO rice)
• 1 green chilli or more if you like it hot
• An inch of ginger (finely chopped)
• urad dal (split black gram), 1 tsp
• chana dal (split bengal gram), 1 tsp
• Oil (coconut oil would give it a lovely flavour)
• mustard seeds, 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• chilli powder, 1 heaped tsp (Kashmiri chilli powder lends a nice colour and it’s not too hot)
• turmeric, 1/2 tsp
• coriander powder, 2 tsp
• garam masala, 1/2 tsp
• 75-100ml (1/4 cup) of water
• Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Start with keeping a big wok or pan on medium heat. Add oil and once it heats up add mustard seeds.

Wait for the mustard seeds to pop and crackle. Sounds lovely doesn’t it!

Add the chana dal and cook for say half a minute. Follow with the urad dal and cook for another minute. When the dals turn golden brown, add the chopped ginger and sliced green chilli. Careful of the splash! Told you!

Cook for 2 minutes more and then add the chopped onions and curry leaves. Stir these two in the wok and you’ll discover the kitchen smells like a south indian coffee-house. Relish these smells but concentrate. Cook the onions till they start becoming a little translucent. Follow by adding the tomatoes, either puréed or chopped. I’ve tried this recipe with both chopped and puréed tomatoes and discovered that puréed tomatoes coat the rice better and more evenly. But if you don’t use a food processor it is perfectly fine if you use chopped tomatoes, just make sure the tomatoes are ripe and finely chopped.

One could also go on and discuss what variety of tomatoes to use, beef or roma or the Indian desi that is super juicy and tangy, but I’d leave that to you. I mostly use roma tomatoes that I find easily in the supermarket near me. I’d love to use the desi (Indian) variety which is tangier than any other I know but I seldom get my hands on them here in Dubai. You can use whichever tomatoes you like.

Once you have added the tomatoes add the spices- salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander powder. The salt helps to cook and soften the tomatoes faster and the spices need to play around in the wok for sometime too. So be patient. Keep the heat on medium so that the spices don’t burn. Stir these in and let it cook for 2 more minutes.

Once you see the tomatoes softening or leaving some oil on the sides, add water and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes. Once that is done, add rice and mix well. You can cover the wok with a lid for 5 minutes on low heat so that all the flavours are soaked up by the rice. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve hot.

A plate of tangy and satisfying Tomato rice is ready! 

Print Recipe

Easy Tomato Rice

A quick, easy and forgiving recipe for South Indian style Tomato rice. All you need is leftover cooked rice, tomatoes, onions and spices from the pantry.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: dinner, lunch

Cuisine: Indian, South Indian

Keyword: Easy Tomato Rice, South Indian Tomato Rice, Thakkali Sadam, Tomato Rice

Servings: 4

Author: Sakshi Kapoor

Equipment

• A saucepan or kadhai/wok

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups Cooked steamed Rice/ Chawal I used Basmati, use any kind of rice, leftover would work too
• 1 Red Onion/ Pyaaz large, sliced or chopped
• 1 Sprig of Curry Leaves/ Kadi Patta Washed, patted dry
• 3 Tomatoes/ Tamatar large, approx 300 grams, chopped or puréed
• 1 Green Chilli/ Hari Mirch Use 2 for a hotter/spicier rice
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger/ adrak finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Coconut/Peanut/Sesame Oil/ Tel Sub with any vegetable oil of choice
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds/Rai/Sarson
• 1 tsp Urad Dal
• 1 tsp Chana Dal
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli/ Lal Mirch Powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric/ Haldi Powder
• 2 tsp Coriander Seeds/ Dhaniya Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala optional
• 1/4 cup Water
• 2-3 tbsp Fresh Green Coriander Leaves/ Dhaniya patti use stems and leaves

Instructions

• Start by gathering all ingredients. Prep the vegetables before you start cooking. Peel and slice or chop the red onions, chop or puree the tomatoes, slit the green chillies, finely chop the ginger and finely chop the coriander stems and leaves.
• Place a big kadhai/wok or sauce pan on medium heat. Add oil and once it heats up add mustard seeds. Wait for the mustard seeds to pop and crackle.
• Next, add the chana dal and cook for 30 to 40 seconds or till you see it starts changing colour to light brown. Follow with the urad dal and cook for a few seconds till you see that the dals turn golden brown. Now add the chopped ginger and sliced green chilli. Be careful of splashes.
• Cook for 2 more minutes and then add the chopped onions and curry leaves. Stir to evenly coat in the hot oil.
• Cook the onions till they start becoming translucent. Follow by adding the tomatoes, either puréed or chopped.
• Once you have added the tomatoes add the seasonings -salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander powder. The salt helps to cook and soften the tomatoes faster and the spices need to cook in the oil for sometime. Turn the heat to medium low so that the spices don’t burn. Stir these in and let it cook for 2 more minutes.
• Once you see the tomatoes softening or leaving some oil on the sides, add water and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes. Once that is done, add the cooked/steamed rice and mix well. You can cover the kadhai/pan with a lid and let it cook for 5 minutes on low heat.
• Open the lid, sprinkle garam masala and chopped coriander leaves. Serve tangy tomato rice with a side of papad, dahi or salad for a satisfying meal.

Notes

• I’ve tried this recipe with both chopped and puréed tomatoes and discovered that puréed tomatoes coat the rice better and more evenly. But if you don’t use a food processor it is perfectly fine if you use chopped tomatoes, just make sure the tomatoes are ripe and finely chopped. Juicier ripe tomatoes break down easily when salt is added to them. 
• The variety of tomatoes you use, beef or roma or the Indian desi that is super juicy and tangy, also may affect cooking times and flavour. I mostly use roma tomatoes that I find easily in the supermarket near me. I’d love to use the desi (Indian) variety which is tangier than any other I know but I seldom get my hands on them here in Dubai. You can use whichever tomatoes you like.
• If you like, you can use garlic to this recipe. Add a couple of few cloves, chopped when you add the ginger. 

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