Tomato Rice: Quick Indian Microwave Recipe

Rice

oi-Anwesha Barari

By Anwesha Barari

Tuesday, September 6, 2011, 16:56

Tomato rice is your perfect special occasion dinner idea for birthdays and anniversaries. But the secret behind its success is that being an Indian microwave recipe it can be prepared in minutes. Tomato rice recipe is so easy that you hardly need any culinary skills to cook it but once cooked Tomato rice seems like a delicately prepared dish! It is an easy rice recipe for all the smart working women to earn laurels from their husbands. Busy husbands too can make use of this Indian microwave recipe to impress their wives.

If you are a lover of the typical spicy Indian food then you must try this Tomato rice recipe because of its tangy taste. Its spiciness does not come from chillies but the sour flavour mixed with ginger giving it a touch of difference. The main ingredient of this Indian microwave recipe is of course tomatoes. It is quite befitting the context of the first ever La Tomatina festival about to take place in Bangalore!

Ingredients For Tomato Rice:

1. Tomatoes-4
2. Basmati rice-2 cups
3. Onions-1
4. Garlic-6 cloves
5. Ginger-3 (1 inch pieces)
6. Green chillies-2
7. Peppercorns-5
8. Cinnamon sticks-2
9. Cloves-4
10. Cardamom-2
11. Bay leaf-1
12. Cumin powder-1 teaspoon
13. Ghee-1 tablespoon
14. Salt as per taste

Procedure For Tomato Rice:

• Soak the rice in a bowl of water for half an hour after washing properly.
• Squash the tomatoes to pulp.
• Make a rough paste of onions, garlic and ginger.
• Take a deep microwavable bowl and heat ghee for 2 minutes in it.
• Add the bay leaf, pepper, cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamom to the melted ghee and microwave for 2 minutes more for the flavours to bleed.
• Add the onion, and ginger garlic paste; mix well and microwave for 2 minutes.
• After this add the tomato pulp with salt; stir and microwave for 2 minutes.
• Add a dash of cumin powder, chopped green chillies and the rice, mix well and microwave for another 2 minutes.
• Now add 4 cups of water; cover and cook for 16-18 minutes at 640 degree centigrade.

After the Tomato rice is ready you could garnish it with chopped onions and fresh coriander leaves. Serve it with any chicken or vegetable gravy.