Thakkali Sadham / Tomato Rice

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Water - 2 cups
Tomato (big) - 2 (finely chopped)
Onion (big) - 1 (finely chopped)
Ginger paste - 1 1/2 teaspoons
Garlic paste - 1 1/2 teaspoons
Green Chillies - 4 nos
Mint Leaves - 4 strands
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Red Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Ghee - 1 1/2 teaspoons

For Seasoning:
Bay Leaves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Cloves - 2 nos
Cardamon - 2 nos
Oil as required
Salt as required

Method:

1. Soak the rice in water for 15 minutes.
2. Drain and fry the rice along with few mint leaves in ghee for 3 minutes.
3. Add oil in a kadai and heat it to medium high. Add the items given for seasoning one after another and fry for few seconds
4. Saute onions , green chillies, ginger and garlic paste for 5 minutes till the raw smell goes away
5. Add mint and coriander leaves and saute for few minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes and saute until it becomes mushy.
7. Add Red Chilli powder, Turmeric powder and salt to the contents in the kadai.
8. Leave the kadai in low heat for 5 minutes. This is again for the raw smell of red chilli powder to subside
9. Transfer the contents to a pressure cooker along wit rice and water. Put the weight and keep the cooker in low heat for 10 minutes.
10. After 10 minutes, check if the rice is done, else keep for another 5 minutes in low flame only.
11. Once the rice is done transfer the contents immediately into another container else rice will become mushy if left in the cooker for long.
12. Serve hot with raita or any choice of kurma