Tomato bath recipe – This is an easy one pot rice dish from the Udupi region of Karnataka and is usually served in the Udupi restaurants. We get to see different kinds of tomato bath prepared in many different ways in these restaurants. Some use veggies like beetroot, potatoes, green peas, beans and cashews too. While other restaurants use a ground paste made of coconut and spices. However it is not an authentic Udupi dish, but just originated in these Hotels/restaurants.
My recipe to make tomato bhath is simple and straight forward. It uses minimal spices and ingredients. I got hooked to this way of making ever since it was handed over to me by our home cook in Bangalore.
This can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. It also goes well in the lunch boxes for the entire family and is kids’ friendly too. We pack it along with few sliced carrots or cucumbers.
Sometimes I also make this for a quick dinner and we prefer to serve it with simple yogurt raita or even with just plain yogurt & some papads.
This tomato bath is very tasty, flavorful, mildly spicy, nutritious and colorful with an addition of veggies. You can use any veggies like beans, carrot, potato, peas etc.
I prefer to use a small quantity of beetroot as well. We love this addition as it imparts a beautiful color. This way the rice looks more appealing to the kids’.
Like vangi bath or bisi bele bath, this recipe does not need any fresh ground spice powder or any garam masala. Only whole spices are used in tempering.
You can also check this Tomato rice recipe and Thakkali sadam (tamil style).
Preparation
1. Add 1½ cups rice to a bowl and rinse it well a few times. Pour fresh water and soak it till you prepare the veggies. Rinse and prepare the following vegetables and herbs:
- 1 medium onion (sliced thin)
- 1 to 2 green chilies (slit)
- 3 large tomatoes (chopped, if preferred deseed as well)
- 1 medium potato (diced)
- 8 french beans chopped (optional or ¼ cup peas)
- ¼ cup chopped beetroot (optional)
- 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
How to make tomato bath
2. Heat a pot or pressure cooker with 2 tablespoons oil or ghee. Then add the following seasoning whole spices.
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 inch cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 cloves
- 4 green cardamoms
- 6 to 8 pepper corn (optional)
- 1 star anise. Fry till they begin to sizzle on a low flame.
3. Add onions and green chilies. Saute till the onions turn translucent. Next add 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste. Saute till the raw smell disappears, for about 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon turmeric and ½ teaspoon salt. Saute till the tomatoes turn mushy.
5. Add ½ teaspoon red chili powder and ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder. Then saute for 2 to 3 mins.
6. Add potatoes, beetroot or beans. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and cook for 2 mins.
6. Pour water & add coriander leaves.
To pressure cook: For basmati rice I use 2½ cups water. If using any other kind of rice, use the same amount as you would use to cook that rice normally.
To cook in pot: For basmati rice, use 3 cups water. For other kinds of rice, use the same amount as you use to cook that kind in a pot.
7. Add drained rice.
8. Give a good mix and taste test the water. Add more salt if needed.
Pot & cooker methods
9. To pressure cook for basmati rice – 1 whistle on a medium heat. If using normal rice then allow 2 whistles.
To cook in pot, cover and cook on a low heat until the rice is cooked fully. If the tomato bhath is under cooked you may sprinkle some hot water and cook further.
10. When the pressure releases, open the lid and fluff up the rice. You get a nice color after you mix the rice.
Tomato bath is ready. Serve hot with your favorite raita.
For more simple rice recipes, you can check this
Ghee rice recipe
Pulao recipe
Bisi bele bath
Vangi bath
Tomato bath
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 2 potatoes medium sized (cubed small)
- 8 beans or ¼ cup peas (or both)
- ¼ cup beetroot (cubed small) (optional)
- 1 medium onion (thin slices)
- 3 large tomatoes ripe and deseeded
- 1 to 2 green chilies slit (reduce for kids)
- 3 tablespoon coriander leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 3 tablespoon oil or ghee
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1½ cups rice (basmati or sona masuri) (soaked for 30 mins)
- 2½ cups water (adjust to suit your rice variety)
Whole spices for tomato bath
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 green cardamoms
- 6 cloves
- 2 inch cinnamon
- 6 pepper corn (optional)
- 1 star flower
Instructions
Preparation
- Wash and soak rice for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and set aside later.
- Cube potatoes and add them to a bowl filled with water. Chop other veggies too. Peel and Cube beetroot. set this aside, slice onions and chop tomatoes.
How to make tomato bath
- Pour oil to a pressure cooker or pot. Saute whole spices and fry till they turn fragrant. Add onions and fry till transparent.
- Next add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes off. Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric and fry till they turn mushy.
- Then add pepper powder and red chili powder. Fry for 2 minutes or until the raw smell goes away. Add all the other veggies, fry for another 2 to 4 minutes.
- Drain the water from the rice and add it along with coriander leaves.
- To cook in pressure cooker, for basmati rice pour 2½ cups water. For normal rice use the same amount as you would use to cook it normally. Cook on a medium heat for 1 whistle. For aged rice and non-basmati, let the cooker whistle twice.
- To cook in pot: Cover and cook on a low heat till the rice is fully done. If it is under cooked, you may pour little hot water and cook.
- When the pressure releases, open the lid and fluff up tomato bath with a fork. Serve with yogurt or raita & papad.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Poornima says
Mam can u please tell how to do easy dishes, within 15 mints, becoz i hav to go colg, so
swasthi says
Hi Poornima
you can refer this collection of bachelor recipes. The links to both these collections is there on the side bar. Hope this helps.
suryan says
Thanks a lot swathi garu
swasthi says
welcome suryan
Poornima says
Nyc
Anders Svensson says
I made tomato rice for my family on my birthday party. The taste was fantastic. I used some vegetables to make the tomato rice. I used to make tomato rice every time for any occasion.
swasthi says
Thanks Anders
So glad to know you made it many times and it turned out good. Thanks for the feedback
Malin Andersson says
The given tomato rice recipe looks so tasty. I love tomato rice. Every time I eat the tomato rice full stomach when it is made at home. My mom prepared it very tasty and delicious. All my family members also like it.
swasthi says
Hi Malin
Glad to know you all liked it. Thanks for the feedback
Sandeep bajjuri says
Hi swathi,
Just nw i prepair tomato bath for my lunch..
Its awesome dear.. I love ur recipes, i wanna try to make all ur recipes.. Can u post more spicy recipes for me..! Bcz i love cooking.. Spcly ur recipes, i want to suggest ur blog.. I knw one of the recipes its mother maids.. If u intrested i’ll send u…
swasthi says
Thanks Sandeep
Glad to know you like my recipes. Most of them are spicy, you can surf through this post on bachelors recipes. Yes do send your mother’s recipe, would love to try it and share it on the blog as well. Have a good day
K.RADHIKA says
Thank u very much for our wonderful recipe.
swasthi says
welcome Radhika
madhu says
I tried tamoto bath it comes very testy
swasthi says
thank you
Varsha says
Hi I be tried ur tom rice . though I m a beginner it came out well. Good recipe.
swasthi says
Hi Varsha,
glad to know it turned out well
Ramu Kommisetti says
Nice Recipes Swathi garu… thank u for everything u publishing in the blog. Thank u very much.
swasthi says
Welcome Ramu garu,
Glad to know you liked the recipes. Thanks for the feedback
Abinaya says
Suprr recipe
swasthi says
Thank you
Saika says
Hi,
tried this dish to make a change in my moms kitchen because I belOng to kashmir and its really rare to prepare such a dish for my kashmiri family… Thanks tO U
swasthi says
Welcome Saika,
So glad to know you made it. Thanks for the feedback
maha says
briyani superah iruthathu.thanks
swasthi says
Welcome Maha
kalaimathi.k says
I try this one.superb.
swasthi says
Thank you
NAVYA K says
i liked the tamoto rice it is very taste my mummi prepared it very good my friends and family is liked ittt…
swasthi says
Thank you
shruti says
Wow never tasted a tomato rice like this. Simply superb. Thank you
swasthi says
Thanks Shruti
lokesh says
I love u r recipe it is easy and simple to prepare…..
swasthi says
Thank you
swethaNarasimha says
Nice n very easy reciep
Thanks mam…we need more easy recipe in chicken
swasthi says
Hello Swetha,
Iam glad you liked it. check out chicken recipes here. I will post few more shortly.
Thank you
🙂
nikita says
i love cookin..wen evr i cook sumthng ,evrythng cum out well..bt tamoto bath..:'( nt up to d mark..ur recipe helped me alot…thank u so much..
swasthi says
Thanks Nitika, im glad to read your comment.
🙂
Sangeetha says
Perfecto!!! Tried it..
swasthi says
Thanks Sangeetha
🙂
PriyaVaasu says
Looks Delicious!!!!
PT says
Perfect combination of tomato and potato…