Tomato Rice Recipe | Thakkali Sadam

Tomato Rice is a tasty, tangy and spicy rice meal made using tomato, spices and mixing it with cooked rice. Tomato rice is served with raita, papad and makes a good choice for travel & lunch box. This can be made under 30 mins and one of the quickest rice dish that you can make!

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Tomato Rice Recipe is a quick and simple recipe that could be prepared in minutes and delicious too! Tomato Rice makes cooking for the day effortless & gets you more me time. It is one of the popular travel food and lunchbox recipes. Pair it up with raita or any veggie of your choice or even just plain curd it tastes great.

Jump to:

• About Tomato Rice
• Video
• Ingredients
• How to make Tomato Rice Step by Step
• Expert Notes
• Serving & Storage Suggestions
• FAQS
• 📖 Recipe Card

About Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice is also called Thakkali Sadam  – ‘Thakkali’ meaning tomato and ‘Sadam’ meaning cooked rice. Thakkali Sadam is very commonly made in Tamil Nadu households and across various parts of India.

Tomato Rice is an amazing variety rice that is a perfect travel partner, lunch meal savior and a great lunch box filler! Tomato is commonly made as one of the variety rice in Baby shower function and mini meals served at hotels.  In Tamil Nadu, they are regularly sold as street side food for lunch along with other varieties of blend rice. 

Tomato Rice is a successful blend of tomato & rice. Tomato – a fruit botanically but sacrifices itself as a vegetable at our kitchen. Rice – a seed of grass botanically but domesticated as a cereal grain. Tomato blend with rice is a delight to foodies and a comfort food to the cook.

Tomato rice can be made in Instant pot, one pot dish or even in pressure cooker or rice cooker. Also known as Thakkali Sadam this one pot meal is such a quick savior during our busy days.

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Video

Studies indicates that tomatoes reduces risk of heart disease & several cancers. Tomato is a good source of Vitamin C an essential nutrient & antioxidant  which helps to fight several diseases and beneficial for skin health.Get goodness of tomato with Tomato rice! People with kidney complication are not advised to consume tomato in any form.

Tomato Rice is my go to dish on busy days – I cook rice in the morning when I prepare for mittu and gugus lunch box and just make the tomato mix & blend it with the cooked rice to make hot tomato rice for lunch.  I also make Tomato rice as an evening meal for my kids when I pack tiffin for lunch box. I cook rice additionally accordingly at those times.    

Tomatoes are often harvested while still green & immature, then ripened artificially with ethylene gas which leads to less flavor & bland tomatoes. Artificially ripened tomatoes are slightly green & yellowish at the top.

Ingredients

• Tomato : Tomato is the star ingredient which is preferred. Choose juicy and tangy tomatoes for tomato rice, else it may make the rice just a plain masala rice. Choose fresh tomatoes that are red / orangish uniformly, firm and soft.
• Rice : Use any short grain rice variety (raw rice, boiled rice, sonamasoori) for regular home use. You can also tomato rice with basmati rice. Cook rice separated so that it does not break while mixing.
• Onions & No Veggies :  Choose small onion over big onion for tomato rice as they make it tastier. If you do not have access, alternatively use big onions.
• Spices : I have used turmeric powder and green chillies for the apt spiciness and colour. I have tempered jeera, cinnamon,and cloves for flavours. Do not add any other spice powders as it might change the flavour and bring down the tomato flavor.
• Oil : I always use gingelly oil for tomato rice as it is flavorful. You can use the regular oil that we use at home too –  refined / groundnut oil for making tomato rice.

How to make Tomato Rice Step by Step

1.Heat 2 tablespoon gingelly oil add 1 inch cinnamon, 2 nos cloves then add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds. Let it splutter.

3.Add few curry leaves and 5 nos garlic and 2 nos green chilies slitted. Give a quick saute.

3.Add small onions along with salt and 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder.

4.Saute for 2 mins.

5.Then add tomatoes roughly chopped.

6.Saute until slightly mushy.

7.Cook covered for 3 mins or until tomatoes are completely cooked and mushy.

8.Open and keep cooking in low flame.

9.Keep cooking until its thick.

10.Cook until oil seperates and no moisture is seen. The mixture should not be saucey it should like a thokku. Cool down the mixture for 10 mins.

11.Then add cooked rice.

12.Mix gently without breaking the rice.

13.Mix well until well combined. Tomato rice is ready.

Tasty tomato rice is ready to be served!

Expert Notes

• I have used normal plain rice, you can use basmati rice too.
• You can grind the tomatoes to a coarse paste too and proceed with the remaining steps. But the flavor and taste changes with pureed tomatoes.
• I have not cut small onion have used it as such as they were small. If you have slightly big then just half it.
• Make sure the tomato mix/sauce is cooked well and does not have moisture at all.It should be more like a thokku. If the tomato mix is saucey or watery it may make the rice mushy when mixed.
• Always cool down cooked rice before adding.
• Leftover plain cooked rice can be made to Tomato rice for kids after they return from school or for the next day lunch or for making varieties of rice for a good spread of lunch.
• Avoid using canned tomatoes, sauces as a substitute for fresh tomatoes as it may change the taste completely.
• Tip for cooking tomato: Since tomatoes are acidic, they are reactive to iron making the rice bitter & metallic. Stainless steel or ceramic pans can be used. 
• Cooking tomato with rice in a pan together (instead of cooking rice separately & blending) making it as a Tomato Bath
• You can add cooked veggies like carrot, potato, gobi, beans etc to make it as more filling.
• Add ghee fried cashews for making it special & tastier.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

Tomato rice is served plain or with papad, curry, curd, pickle or raita. Tomato rice is great for travel, lunch box and quick lunch at home.

Tomato rice keeps good for a day – For later use next day, refrigerate and reheat it before serving.

FAQS

1.What is Tomato rice?

Tomato Rice is made by first making a thick sauce using tomatoes, herbs, spices then mixing it with cooked rice.

2.Which variety of rice should I use for Tomato Rice?

Use raw rice / boiled rice / sona masoori for regular home use. If you prefer you can use basmati rice.

3.Why is my Tomato rice bitter?

Tomato when overcooked with burnt spices can make the tomato rice bitter. Suggest to cook in low flame to avoid spices & tomatoes getting burnt.

4.Can I prepare the sauce or tomato mix the night before and use next day?

Very much – It saves lot of time in the morning when we pack for lunch box. The mix can be refrigerated and it keeps good for 2 days. 

5.How to cook rice for tomato rice?

I usually use draining method to cook rice. If you want to cook in cooker then for 1 cup rice use 3 cups water and cook for 3 whistles in low medium flame.

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