Tomato Rice / Thakkali Saadam

Tomato rice is a popular variety rice from South India. It is a desired recipe for its tangy and spicy flavor and its beautiful red color. Each house has its style and way of making it and this is how I make it. . Tomato paste is optional, but it adds lot of flavor. This is my choice for T in the cooking with alphabets for this month’s marathon.

Ingredients
Tomato – 5
Onion (chopped) – ½ cup
Green Chili – 4
Cumin Seeds – ½ tea spoon
Coriander Leaves – ½ cup
Curry Leaves – 10
Mustard Seeds – ¼ tea spoon
Asafetida – 1/8 tea spoon
Turmeric – ¼ tea spoon
Chili Powder – 1 tea spoon
Salt – 1 ½ tea spoon
Rice – 2 cups
Water – 4 cups
Cloves – 4
Bay Leaves – 1
Cinnamon Stick – 1 inch (crushed)
Fennel Seeds – ½ tea spoon
Cardamom – 2 (crushed)
Cashew – 1 table spoon
Ginger (grated) – ½ tea spoon
Oil or Butter – 2 table spoons
Garlic – 4 cloves
Tomato Paste – 1 table spoon (optional)

Method
Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes
Cook the rice with water until well done. (In microwave it takes about 12 – 15 minutes)
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and once it crackles add cumin seeds and fennel seeds
Add cashew and sauté for 30 seconds
Add Bay leaf, Cinnamon, Cardamom, cloves
Add green chili, curry leaves, ginger and garlic and saute for a minute
Add onions, tomato paste and salt and cook until onions are tender
Add chopped tomatoes and cook on low flame
Once the tomatoes start loosing its shape, add the spice powders
Sauté this all for around 3 minutes or until the oil starts to leave the gravy
Add the cooked rice and mix well
Garnish with Coriander leaves.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#41