Tomato Rice

Love Apples - Well that could be a mistranslation, but nevertheless I am in love with these apples. This fruit (actually a berry), raw or cooked has a sweet and acidic flavour and is available in all size, shapes and colours.

When I picked these vine-ripened beauties (actually, lots of ‘em) and after making sauce and soup, I decided to make pulao with the leftovers. There are umpteen number of recipes for tomato pulao/rice in the web; so why add another? Well, I think each cook has their own style of cooking, bringing their signature flavour to the dish with subtle changes. Though the ingredients list is long, it is the combination of these spices and the ease of preparation that appeals to me. Feel free to vary the combination of the spices.

Clockwise from cilantro: cilantro, cashews, bay leaf, star anise, cumin, urad dal, chana dal, fennel, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peas, onion, ginger, garlic

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup
Tomato – 3 big ones
Onion – ½ or 1 small
Peas – ½ cup
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Garlic – 3 cloves
Tomato paste – 2 tbsp (optional)
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Cilantro or coriander leaves
Salt
Oil – 2 tbsp

Seasoning

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Chana dal -1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Black pepper – 8 to 10
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Fennel seeds– ¼ tsp
Star anise - 1
Cardamom - 1
Cloves - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon – 1 inch
Cashews - few

Method

Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes and cook in 1¼ cups of water. Fluff the rice and allow it to cool.

In a kadai, add oil and splutter mustard seeds. Then add the other seasonings one by one. When the cashews turn golden brown, add onions, ginger, and garlic. Let onion cook for a minute and add tomatoes, peas, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. I also add tomato paste to give it a deep tomato-ey flavour. When the tomatoes are done, mix the cooked rice thoroughly and garnish with cilantro. The rice develops flavour as it sits, so this is an ideal dish for potlucks.

Tomato rice and hard-boiled eggs