Tomato rice
Thakkali sadam, the South Indian one-pot tomato rice: rice pressure-cooked with a tangy, spiced tomato and onion masala, mint and curry leaves. A lunchbox favourite eaten with raita, papad or a potato fry; in Karnataka it is tomato bath.
- 50 minTime
- 30 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 8 gprotein per portion
- 440kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 300 gRice, sona masoori or ponni
- 2Onions, thinly sliced
- 4Tomatoes, chopped
- 3Green chillies, slit
- 3 tbspRefined oil
- 1 tbspGhee
- 1Bay leaf
- 1 gCinnamon, a small piece
- 3Cloves
- 3 mlFennel seeds
- 1 sprigCurry leaves
- 1 tbspGinger-garlic paste
- 3 mlTurmeric
- 1 tspRed chilli powder
- 1 tspGaram masala
- to tasteSalt
- 15 gMint, leaves
- ≈ 600 mlWater
- 10 gCoriander leaves, chopped
Method
- Wash the rice 2–3 times and leave it in water while you cut the vegetables.
- Slice the onions, chop the tomatoes and slit the green chillies.
- Heat the oil and ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and fennel seeds, then the curry leaves, onions and green chillies, and fry until the onions are golden, about 6 minutes.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala and salt and cook, mashing with the spoon, until the tomatoes have broken down completely and the oil separates, about 8 minutes.
- Add the mint, the drained rice and the water, stir and bring to the boil. Close the cooker.
- Pressure-cook on medium for 2 whistles, about 8 minutes, and let the pressure drop by itself.
- Open the cooker, fluff the rice gently with a fork, scatter over the coriander leaves and serve hot.
