Tomato Pulav

At my kitchen for our lunch its mostly rice, sambar and one dry curry with vegetables. Some days when I am not in a mood to make sambar its one pot meal. So today being one of those days, for our mid-day lunch I had made a very simple tomato rice.

I usualy make tomato rice by adding chopped tomatos and onion with some spices. Today for the first time I tried making tomato pulav by pureering/juicing tomatoes and added fennel seeds while tempering. It was delicious with mild tomato taste with sweet smell of fennel.

Ingredients:

• Tomato - 1 big Puree it using blender
• Onion - 1 medium( thinly chopped)
• Green chillies - 1 to 2

For tempering :

• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 1tsp
• Cloves and cinammon - 2 each

For Garnishing:

• 1 tsp - ghee
• 2 tbsp- cashew nuts
• 2 tbsp - corriender leaves chopped.

Method :

• Wash and soak rice (Basmati rice) for about 10 mins . This will allow rice to cook fastly when making on stove top. If using pressure cooker skip this step.
• Heat oil in a thick bottemed pan. When its hot add mustard and fennel seeds, cinammon - cloves. Then add chopped green chilles and onion, fry for few mins.
• Then add purrred tomotoes and add salt. Bring it to a boil then add enough water required for rice to cook ( I used 1 cup rice so added 2 cups of water + 1/2 cup of tomato puree) .
• When it starts to boil add rice, mix well adjust salt and spice ( want more spice add red chilli powder) and cover and simmer and cook for 10 - 12 mins.
• Now do the garnishing, add chopped corriender leaves and cashew nuts, roasted in ghee. Let the rice cool for 5 mins or so the add the roasted nuts and mix well

To go with it I made onion, cucumber, carrot pachadi/raitha. To make the taste bit different I added a pinch or Black salt (which is slightly tangy and salty in taste). Mixed along with salt and pepper. Simple and yet delicious lunch.

Enjoy!