Tomato rice recipe – Simple, quick, spicy, flavorful and delicious one pot tomato rice made with only few ingredients. This can be made in a pressure cooker or a pot. If you are looking to use up left over or excess white rice, then you can make tomato rice just under 20 mins following this Thakkali sadam recipe.
In this post I have shown making tomato rice in cooker in the step by step method and in the video I have shown making it in a pot. Since it is quick to make one can prepare this for dinner on a busy week day or for a lunch box. It can be served plain or with some vegetable salad, curd, raita or papad. To make it kids’ friendly, you can puree the tomatoes and use.
As the name indicates this tomato rice is made using tomato alone and no vegetables are used except onion. However you can use any veggies like peas, potatoes etc and even soya chunks or boiled egg goes well.
For more Rice recipes, you can check
Corn pulao
Puliyogare
Kerala ghee rice
Curd rice
To make tomato rice, you can use any kind of rice you like. You can prepare the rice however you like soft or al dente. Just that the quantity of water needs to be adjusted according to the kind of rice.
For more Tomato recipes, you may like to check
Karnataka tomato bath
Tomato upma
Simple tomato biryani
Tomato curry
Spicy tomato chutney
Tomato rice recipe
Tomato rice recipe | How to make tomato rice | Easy tomato rice recipe
One pot easy tomato rice made with fresh ripe tomatoes, spices and herbs. It is a simple basic rice dishes from South Indian cuisine. Tomato rice can be served with yogurt, raita, veg salad or papads.
Ingredients (240 ml cup used)
Ingredients for tomato rice
- 1 ½ cups rice basmati (washed & drained)
- 2 tbsps oil or ghee or clarified butter
- 1 medium onion (chopped or thinly sliced)
- 1 green chili (slit, optional)
- 2 tsps ginger garlic paste or crushed ginger garlic
- 1 cup tomatoes ripe (chopped & deseeded or pureed if preferred)
- Salt as needed
- 2 ½ to 3 cups Water or as needed (refer notes)
- 3 tbsp Coriander leaves or cilantro finely chopped
- Lemon juice as needed (skip if using sour tomatoes)
Spices for tomato rice recipe
- 1 small bay leaf or tej patta or curry leaves
- ½ to 1 tsp cumin or jeera
- 1 small cinnamon or dalchini
- 3 green cardamoms or elaichi
- 3 cloves or laung (optional)
- ¼ tsp Turmeric or haldi
- ¾ to 1 tsp red chili powder (reduce if making for kids) (use as needed)
- ¾ to 1 tsp garam masala powder (or 1 tbsp bisi bele bath masala or vangi bath masala)
- ¼ tsp pepper crushed (optional)
How to make the recipe
How to make tomato rice
Wash rice until the water runs clear. Soak it until needed in the recipe or for 30 mins.
- Heat a pressure cooker or a pot with ghee or oil.
- Saute cloves, cinnamon, cumin and bay leaf until they begin to crackle.
- Add the onions and fry them until golden.
- Saute the ginger paste now just for few seconds.
- Add in the tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Saute for 2 to 3 mins.
- Cook covered until soft.
- Add red chili powder and garam masala powder.
Mix and cook until the mixture turns completely soft and mushy. The masala leaves the sides of the pan.
- Pour water according to the rice.
- Stir and check salt. If needed add more.
Bring the water to a rolling boil. Drain the rice and add it.
Making tomato rice in a pressure cooker
Stir and cover the cooker with lid. Cook on a medium high heat. Allow to whistle once.
- When the pressure goes down, open the lid. Fluff up the rice.
Making tomato rice in a pot
Cook until the water has almost absorbed by the rice.
When the rice is still soggy, lower the flame completely and cover with a lid.
- Allow to cook completely. If needed sprinkle some warm water and stir. Cook until the tomato rice is completely cooked.
- If desired add chopped coriander leaves and squeeze in some lemon juice.
Tomato rice is ready to serve hot or warm with a raita.
Recipe Video
Video of tomato rice recipe
Recipe Notes
If using bisi bele bath or vangi bath masala, then you may need to skip the red chili powder or reduce it.
For basmati rice, I usually use 2.5 cups water for 1.5 cups rice.
For normal rice, you will need more.
Use water as needed depending on the kind of rice used.
Preparation for tomato rice recipe
1. Wash rice very well a few times until the water runs clear. Soak the rice if you wish until the preparation is done. Drain the rice and set aside.
2. Wash and slice onions thinly and slit green chili.
3. Wash and chop tomatoes. You can also deseed them before chopping.
4. Grate the ginger or ginger garlic or make a paste.
How to make tomato rice recipe
5. Add ghee or oil to a hot pressure cooker or a pot.
6. On a low heat, saute cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf and cumin until they begin to crackle.
7. Add chopped or sliced onions and begin to saute them.
8. When the onions turn golden, saute ginger paste just for few seconds.
9. Add tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Saute for 2 to 3 mins.
10. Next cover and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.
11. Add red chili powder, pepper powder, garam masala. I used this garam masala along with half tsp of saunf powder.
12. Saute until the tomato masala turns soft and mushy. There should be no raw smell of tomatoes by now and the masala leaves the sides of the pan.
13. Pour water and Stir it well. Check and add more salt if needed. Bring it to a rolling boil.
14. Add drained rice.
15. Mix well. Next when the water comes to a boil. Cover with a lid.
16. Cook on a medium heat & allow to whistle once.
17. When the pressure settles down, open the lid and fluff up. If you like the rice to be al dente, do not allow the pressure to come down on its own. When the cooker is still with pressure, release it by lifting the whistle with a wooden spatula. Allow to rest for 5 mins. Fluff up the tomato rice. If desired you can squeeze in some lemon juice and add coriander leaves before you fluff up.
Serve tomato rice with onion slices or veg salad or raita.
pavani says
Delicious recipe with ur twist
swasthi says
Hi Pavani,
Thanks for trying
Bel says
I made this rice yesterday for my daughter. She loves Indian food and ate a similar dish at a local Indian restaurant. She loved this so much I had to find a comparable recipe. This rice tastes and is way more flavorful than what she ordered! Very fragrant and everyone loved this dish. So great and thank you for posting the recipe.
swasthi says
Welcome Bel
Glad to know the tomato rice turned out good. Thanks a lot for trying and rating the recipe.
Suja says
Yummy I make this often with green peas added. Absolutely a winner anytime. Thanks for the recipes. Just awesome!!
swasthi says
Welcome Suja
Thanks for trying. Glad to know you like the tomato rice. Love the idea of green peas!!
🙂
Gail says
HI ! I used tinned cherry tomatoes and it was wayyyy too acidic…I will try again with fresh tomatoes….
Thanks for this recipe ! Any advice for coutervailing the acidity ?? I do not want to add sugar…..
swasthi says
Welcome Gail.
Yes unfortunately tinned tomatoes dont work here. You can try with this alternate to cut down the sourness. The amount of onions i have mentioned in the recipe have to be sauteed in oil first until golden, cooled and then pureed along with little tomato puree. Follow the rest of the recipe by skipping onions in the tempering (step 3 in recipe card). After adding the puree, just cook until the mixture begins to leave oil or the sides of the pan – meaning it is completely cooked.
I am sure this works.
Gail says
Thank you so much for your answer, I will try again soon 🙂
Sneha says
Made Tomato Rice yesterday, by following your recipe. Turned out well. It was super tangy,spicy and tasty. Everyone liked it. Thank you so much for the recipe. Will try out other recipes too very soon
swasthi says
Welcome Sneha
Happy to know tomato rice turned out good.
Yes do try the other recipes.
Thanks for the comment
Pri says
Is that ok for kids or it’s too spicy?
swasthi says
Skip chilli and reduce red chili powder if making for kids
Chitra Ramesh says
Hi Swasthi! This recipe is excellent with temple style curd rice. I cooked both of them for my parents and they were very happy. Thank you so much!
swasthi says
Welcome Chitra
Thanks for trying and sharing the outcome. Happy to know you all liked them.
Sukanya says
We can also use sambar powder .
I use it every time.
swasthi says
Thanks for sharing sukanya. Will try
vidya says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Will try it soon.
swasthi says
Welcome Vidya
Do try it