Spicy tomato rice

My lil brother buzzed me the other day to ask me how to make tomato rice. I didn't know really. I mean I did try it out once loooong back but it wasn't really the best. But at that time getting rice cooked without mashing or burning it was a big achievement and this simple tomato rice was indeed a day for celebration.  So when N asked me I passed on some random recipe I'd found on a blog and asked him to follow it to the dot. He did and even sent me a picture the next day saying it turned out good. I realized it definitely looked waaay better than the one I first made and so I took it upon myself to make the perfect spicy tomato rice. I also realized I dont have that many rice recipe here. And secretly, after I started watching Jamie's 30 minute meals, I am awesomely motivated and even better his method of cooking rice (which I'm sure all you guys would have know and even practise at home) of mixing it all together, was a revelation to me and I just had to make something rice related to test the waters again.

Basmati rice- 1 cup, washed two to three times and soaked in warm water.

Boiling water- 2 cups

To puree:

Tomatoes- 2

Ginger paste- 1/2 tsp

Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp

To sauté:

Oil/ Ghee- 1 tbsp

Onion- 1 medium, chopped into small slices

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Cumin powder- 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida- a pinch

Sambar powder- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Tomato pickle- 1 tsp (optional)

Lime juice- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

To temper:

Oil- 1 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves- a sprig

Dry red chillies- 3

Channa/ Urud dal- 1 tsp

In a frying pan heat oil and saute the onions till lightly brown.

Add the puréed tomato-ggp mix, chilli, turmeric, cumin, sambar, asafoetida powder. tomato pickle and salt and give it a good stir making sure every things combined well.

On low-medium fire cook the tomato mix until oil starts separating. This is very important and to prevent it from sticking to the vessel, keep stirring in between and if its really dry add a tbsp of water or so.

Drain the rice and add to the tomato mixture once it turns to a slightly pulpy consistency.

Mix well making sure all the rice granules are coated with the tomato paste.

Turn the heat up to a medium and add the boiling water and the lime juice. Give a stir and cover with a lid.

Cook till the rice is done, approx 7 to 8 minutes.

Fluff it lightly and place in a serving bowl.

Add some oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds.

Then add curry leaves, dry red chillies and the dal and saute for a few minutes till they all start changing colours.

Pour over the rice, mix well and serve with raita, pickle and pappad. BLISS...let me assure you.

Notes: It was indeed a bit spicy but I loved it nonetheless. Reduce the chilli powder to half a tsp maybe.

The tomato pickle/ thokku adds that extra zing and i loved it. Its purely optional and so is the sambar powder.

The tadka also can be avoided. I just did it for glamour sake:)