Tomato Rice

Tomato rice is one of my favorites. This rice brings back the memories of my home. During my school days, I use to take tomato rice for lunch with pickle. I learned this recipe from my mom. Today I was little lazy to cook and ended my making rice for dinner. We had this rice with potato fry and vadagam. Those are my favorite side dishes for the tomato rice. So here the recipe goes!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Basmati rice
• (1 inch piece cinnamons stick, 2 cloves, ¼ tsp funnel seeds (saunf) , 2- 3 bay leaves, 1 cardamom )
• 1 small onion cut into length wise
• 2 tomato cut into length wise
• 4-5 Mint leaves
• A pinch of turmeric
• 2- 3 tsp oil
• Salt to taste
  

To grind:

• 2 tsp of cilantro
• 1tsp ginger
• 2 pods of garlic
• 3 green chilies
  

Method:

• Wash and soak rice for 5- 10 minutes

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker or in a rice cooker. Sauté cinnamons stick, cloves, cardamom, funnel seeds (saunf) and bay leaves. Add onions, fry until they are brown, add tomatoes and fry until it becomes soft.
  

• Mix the grinded items and fry in medium low heat till the raw smell goes off. When the moisture is absorbed, add the soaked rice, mint leaves and fry for few more minutes. Add 1tsp salt and two cups of water. Close the lid if you cooking in the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 10 minutes in low heat until 1 whistle and turn off the heat. If you are cooking in the rice cooker pan, remove the pan from the heat and transfer to the rice cooker and plug in.
  

• Once the rice is cooked, check for salt and add accordingly.

Sever hot with raita and pappad.