Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice is an easy to make mixed rice made by mixing the cooked tomato paste (with spices) and plain cooked rice. This type of variety rice (also called as kalantha saadam in tamil) is best preferred during outings/picnics, where it is very relish-able to have this rice with chips/papad.  The main ingredient for this rice other than tomatoes is garam masala. When the garam masala is mixed with tomato paste, it gives a unique flavor for the rice. For spice quotient, both red chillies (whole) and red chilly powder is used.

To get the nice red color to your tomato rice, use ripe red tomatoes. Ginger-garlic paste in this recipe is an optional ingredient.

Tomato has adequate health benefits, so using this vegetable regularly in our cuisine is good.

Health Benefits of Tomato:

1. Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin A, C & K, folate and potassium.
2. It is very good for your skin, as it contains lycopene which makes your skin less sensitive to UV light damage .
3. It is non-starchy vegetable.
4. The vitamins in tomatoes help us build strong bones.
5. It prevents high cholesterol, strokes and heart disease.

Best Accompaniment: Papad / Chips / Onion Raita/ Potato Roast

English Name : Tomato Rice / Tamil Name : Thakkali Saadam

Ingredients:

Tomatoes (Ripe) -  3 Chopped to medium pieces
Onion – 2 , chopped to medium slices.
Red Chillies – 4 to 5 depending on your spice levels
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – 2 tsp (1 ½ tsp while cooking, ½ tsp directly on the rice)
Ginger-garlic paste -  1 tsp (optional)
Oil – 4 tsp
Cooked Rice - 2 Cups 
Seasoning Ingredients: Mustard seeds – 1 tsp, broken urud dhal – 1 tsp, channa dhal – 1 tsp, Curry leaves – 12

Pre-requisite:

Cook any white rice of any variety and cool it and keep ready.

Method:

Preparation of Tomato Paste:

1. In a kadai, add oil and season as given adding red chillies along with the rest.

2. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for few seconds (this step is optional).

3. Add the chopped onions and sauté till onions turn translucent.

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4. Add the chopped tomato and sauté till the tomatoes become very pulpy and mushy.

5. Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder and little salt and mix well. Cook for 3-5 minutes on low flame, after adding the powder for the powder flavours to get into the paste.

6. Just before switching off, add 1 ½ tsp of garam masala powder and mix well and cook for few more minutes.

7. When tomato paste is ready, it should look like thick mushy red gravy, with the tomatoes very well smashed and devoid of water.

 Preparation of Tomato Rice:

1. In a big bottom broad vessel, add the cooked rice first, sprinkle the ½ tsp garam masala and 1 teaspoon of oil, 1 tsp of salt and mix well. (Rice mixed with the garam masala directly adds extra flavor to the rice).

2. Add the tomato paste and required salt and mix with rice well, until the tomato is well coated into the rice. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with any side-dish of your choice or simply with papads.

Note:

1. While seasoning, you can enrich this tomato rice with cashews and peanuts too.

2. Since salt is added already while cooking the tomato rice, while mixing the rice, check the current salt levels in the taste and then add accordingly.