Chettinad Style Tomato Rice

This is very simple recipe and easy to prepare. Yet the taste is unbeatable. This is perfect for lunch box as well.  I still remember, my mother has prepared this for our school several times.

Ingredients:


Diced Ripe tomato - 5 to 6 (depending on the size)

Sliced Big Onion - 2 (or)

Sliced Small  Onion - 12 to 15

Quartered Garlic cloves - 8

Raw rice/Long grain Rice (or) Basmati Rice - 1 & 1/2 cups

Sambhar Powder - 1 tsp.

Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Gingelly Oil/ Nallennai - 1 tbsp

With few drops of oil..

Asafetida

Tempering Ingredients:

Slit green chilies - 2

Kadugu/Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Ulundu/Black gram - 1/2 tsp

Vendhayam/Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Sombu/Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp

Asafetida - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:


Wash Soak the long grain rice or the Basmati rice in 3 cups of water for 15 minutes. Rice to water ratio is 1: 2.  No need to waste the soaked water, we can use for cooking. 

In a Kadai or pan, pour the oil and add the tempering ingredients, when it splutters, stir in the onions and garlic. Sauté well, the add tomatoes.  Cook well until the tomato gets mashed up.  Toss in the chili, turmeric and sambhar powder, add enough salt. Combine well and cook for few more minutes.  Set aside.

Cook the soaked rice with few drops of oil and little salt, in a pressure cooker. Adding few drops of oil will ensure that the rice does not stick to each other, nevertheless the quantity of water is important, if we use excess water, and the rice will get mashed. The rice should be firm, it should not get mashed.  After the rice get cooked, transfer it gently into a large bowl, pour the gingelly oil/Nallennai over it and mix very gently. Allow the rice to cool.

Now mix the prepared tomato mixture and cooked rice. Combine it thoroughly, garnish with coriander leaves/malli thazhai and serve with cucumber and onion Raita.


Tips, tips, tips...
This kind of tomato rice should be consumed within few hours of making. Otherwise it will be spoiled.  If using the left over for next meal, it’s better to refrigerate.