Tomato Rice (Thakkali Sadam)

Step 1

Rinse basmati rice or any regular rice for a couple of times in water.

Step 2

Then soak the rice in water for 20 to 30 minutes. Later drain the rice and keep aside.

Step 3

Chop the tomatoes, onions and green chillies finely. Peel and crush the ginger-garlic in a mortar pestle. Also, chop the mint and coriander leaves

Step 4

Keep aside all the spices required for the rice.

Step 5

In a 3 litre pressure cooker, heat the oil. Keep the flame to a low and add mustard seeds and crackle them. Then add fenugreek seeds and just lightly fry for a couple of seconds without burning them.

Step 6

Then add finely chopped onions and cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves.

Step 7

Stir and sauté until the onions turn translucent and soften.

Step 8

Add the ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chilies and curry leaves.

Step 9

Stir and sauté for some seconds until the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away

Step 10

Now add chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves.

Step 11

Stir and saute for a minute.

Step 12

Keep heat to a low or switch off the heat. Add the finely chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder, red chilli powder, black pepper powder or crushed black pepper, coriander powder and cumin powder.

Step 13

Mix very well and sauté the tomatoes until they soften and become pulpy with oil releasing from the sides.

Step 14

Add the soaked rice. Gently mix the rice with the tomato mixture very well. Sauté for a minute.

Step 15

Add 1.75 cups water. For a more softer consistency in the rice, you can also add 2 cups water.

Step 16

Season with salt as per taste.

Step 17

Cover and pressure cook tomato rice for 2 whistles on medium flame or about 10 to 11 minutes. To get a softer rice, you can also pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Step 18

When the pressure settles down on its own. Then remove the lid and gently fluff the tomato rice.

Step 19

Serve tomato rice with appalams or chips or with a side raita.