If you learn how to make delicious rice based dishes like lemon rice, turmeric rice, coconut rice, eggplant rice (vangi bath) and chickpea rice, you will always be just minutes away from an easy, filling and nutritious dinner. This easy south Indian style tomato rice (thakkali sadam in Tamil) is such a dish and it’s probably the rice recipe I make most often. Black mustard seeds, curry leaves, cashews and sambar powder (or use curry powder) add incredible, savory flavor to the rice, along with the star ingredient: ripe, red, juicy tomatoes. Cilantro, sprinkled over the rice at the end of cooking, adds a pop of fresh flavor. All weeknight meals should be this easy and this delicious!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Full of flavor. There are so many delicious tastes in this tomato rice - spicy, tangy, sweet and salty, and that bit of umami if you add the optional but highly recommended asafetida (hing), a resinous Indian spice. Healthy. The tomato rice is made with basmati rice, which naturally has a lower glycemic index than other white rice varieties. Add to it the fresh tomatoes, a bit of urad dal, spices and cashews, and it is a complete, balanced meal all by itself with good amounts of heart healthy protein. Easy recipe. If you have pre-cooked basmati rice, this recipe comes together in one pot in under 15 minutes. The only work you need to do is chop up the onions and tomatoes. Works for all diets. The tomato rice is gluten-free, soy-free, and you can skip the nuts if you are nut-free. Rice is gentle on the stomach so this recipe works for everyone, and kids especially love it.
How to make tomato rice
Heat coconut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add to it the mustard seeds and as soon as they begin to crackle, add the asafetida, if using, urad dal, chili peppers, cashews and curry leaves. Saute until the curry leaves begin to get crisp and the urad dal and cashews are lightly golden, about a minute or two. Add the onion and saute for a couple of minutes until translucent.
Add the diced tomatoes along with the turmeric and sambar powder and mix. Cook the tomatoes until they have expressed all their juices but don’t wait for the juices to evaporate. You want that goodness to soak into the rice and you also want the tomatoes to retain their sweetness, not turn too tangy, as they would if they cook down further.
Add the cooked rice to the wok or skillet and mix gently, making sure all rice grains are coated with the tomato juices. Cover the wok and turn heat to the lowest setting. Cook for five minutes, undisturbed, so the rice absorbs the amazing flavors of the spiced tomato juices. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand undisturbed for another 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Serve
Tomato rice is a fantastic and filling meal on its own. To eat it as a south Indian would, serve it with just poppadum for a light lunch or dinner. Desi, my resident Tamilian, says his family would eat it with potato chips or banana chips. You can serve the tomato rice as the grain element in a veggie bowl with Indian flavors, like this curried chickpeas bowl.
Store
Refrigerate: The tomato rice can be stored in the fridge for three days. Freeze: Spread the tomato rice on a baking sheet and let it cool in the fridge. Then scoop into a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to three months. Reheat: The easiest way to reheat cooked tomato rice is in the microwave. Add a tablespoon of water for each cup of rice and microwave on high for 2-5 minutes. If reheating in a saucepan or skillet add a tablespoon of water for each cup of rice, cover and let the thawed rice steam over low heat for five minutes. Stir it occasionally as it reheats.
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