Chettinadu Tomato Rice

Recipe Courtesy: Subhasini (my friend)

Tomato rice has always been the simplest and tastiest variety rice I have known.
Just add mustard, urad dal, channa dal, chopped onions, tomatoes, salt, chili powder, garam masala, cooked rice and it is done! Well, this is what I have known..
My friend Subha cooks awesome Chettinadu and Coimbatore style dishes. She gave this 'all new' Chettinadu style tomato rice recipe. It was so tempting and I made it the very next day!

Ingredients:
2 juicy round tomatoes
1 onion, 1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 tsp saunf/fennel seeds
3 red chillies
1/2 inch cinnamon
2 cloves
1 clove garlic(optional)
3 tsp oil
salt to taste, 1/4 tsp turmeric
1 cup Basmati rice
1 1/3 cups water

If the rice is starchy, soak rice for 1/2 hr. Drain completely.
Add some oil in a kadai, roast rice for a few minutes. and keep aside.
First chop onion finely and one tomato finely.
Grind together the other tomato, saunf, red chillies, garlic, cinnamon and cloves to a paste.
Add oil in a kadai. Add the chopped onions, curry leaves and saute till transparent.
Now add the chopped tomatoes and saute till soft.
Add the paste next.
Top it off with water and allow it to come to a boil.
Add sufficient salt and turmeric.
Add the rice into boiling mixture and keep in medium flame. Close and cook till done.

Note: You can also use the regular raw rice and cook the dish in a pressure cooker. Be careful to add the right amount of water so that the tomato rice is grainy.
This dish has no seasoning at all. That is the highlight :)