Tomato Rice, Tomato Rice With Coconut Milk

Recipe for easy Tomato Rice with Coconut Milk made in pressure cooker. South Indian Tomato rice recipe made Tamilnadu style. With step by step pictures.

I have a question for you today. A question on tomato. Ready? Here you go. Why Did The Tomato blush today morning when I was making breakfast? Do you know? I just figured that he was blushing because he saw the salad dressing. woot! woot! This recipe is a lunch box favorite. The addition of coconut milk keeps the rice moist and tasty. We also call this as Tomato pulav. Here is how I do Tamilnadu style Tomato rice.

We will be using Basmati rice for this recipe today. Wash the rice 2-3 times in running water. Soak the rice in water and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the spices. Fry for 10 seconds. Add in the chopped onions and the sliced green chillies. Add more green chillies if you want it spicy. Fry for a minute.

In the mean time, crush some garlic in a mortar and pestle. You do NOT want to puree the garlic. We need the garlic in bits. So NO garlic paste please! If you do not have a mortar and pestle, just run the garlic in a small mixie jar (pulse several times) without adding any water. You can even chop the garlic cloves finely and add it to the pan if nothing else works for you! Add in the crushed garlic and fry for a couple of minutes.

Puree the tomatoes in a blender / mixie and add it to the pan. Add in the salt, chilli powder and turmeric. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and dry.

When the tomatoes are cooking, we will make some coconut milk. Take the coconut meat from half a coconut and run it in a blender with 2 cups of water and make a very fine paste. Strain the coconut milk and set aside. Add in the coconut milk to the pan. The water and rice ratio is 1:1.5 ie for every cup of rice used, add 1.5 cups of liquid. liquid is coconut milk plus water.

In the mean time, drain the soaked rice and set aside. Once the liquid in the pan comes to a roaring boil, add in the rice. Mix well and close the lid and put the whistle weight on. Cook for 5 minutes on medium flame or for 2 whistles. Exactly 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Once the pressure has released, open the lid and gently fluff up the rice.

Serve hot.

Measurements Used – 1 cup = 250 ml

• 1.5 cups Basmati rice
• 2 cups coconut milk from Half a coconut

Spices

• 2 cardamom pods
• 2 cloves
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves

Other Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 Onions, chopped
• 4 green chillies, slit
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 very ripe tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the spices. Fry for 10 seconds. Add in the chopped onions and the sliced green chillies. Fry for a minute.
2. Add in the crushed garlic and fry for a couple of minutes.
3. Puree the tomatoes in a blender / mixie and add it to the pan. Add in the salt, chilli powder and turmeric. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and dry.
4. Take the coconut meat from half a coconut and run it in a blender with 2 cups of water and make a very fine paste. Strain the coconut milk and set aside. Add in the coconut milk to the pan. for every cup of rice use, 1.5 cups of liquid.
5. In the mean time, drain the soaked rice and set aside. Once the liquid in the pan comes to a roaring boil, add in the rice. Mix well and close the lid and put the whistle weight on. Cook for 5 minutes on medium flame or for 2 whistles. Exactly 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Once the pressure has released, open the lid and gently fluff up the rice.
6. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Notes

If using canned coconut milk (which is very thick), use one cup of canned milk mixed with water for this recipe.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Category: Lunch
• Cuisine: South Indian, Tamilnadu

Measurements Used – 1 cup = 250 ml

• 1.5 cups Basmati rice
• 2 cups coconut milk from Half a coconut

Spices

• 2 cardamom pods
• 2 cloves
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves

Other Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 Onions, chopped
• 4 green chillies, slit
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 very ripe tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the spices. Fry for 10 seconds. Add in the chopped onions and the sliced green chillies. Fry for a minute.
2. Add in the crushed garlic and fry for a couple of minutes.
3. Puree the tomatoes in a blender / mixie and add it to the pan. Add in the salt, chilli powder and turmeric. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and dry.
4. Take the coconut meat from half a coconut and run it in a blender with 2 cups of water and make a very fine paste. Strain the coconut milk and set aside. Add in the coconut milk to the pan. for every cup of rice use, 1.5 cups of liquid.
5. In the mean time, drain the soaked rice and set aside. Once the liquid in the pan comes to a roaring boil, add in the rice. Mix well and close the lid and put the whistle weight on. Cook for 5 minutes on medium flame or for 2 whistles. Exactly 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Once the pressure has released, open the lid and gently fluff up the rice.
6. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Notes

If using canned coconut milk (which is very thick), use one cup of canned milk mixed with water for this recipe.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Category: Lunch
• Cuisine: South Indian, Tamilnadu

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/tomato-rice/

Chettinadu Thenkuzhal Murukku Recipe from Soundaram Aachi of Soundaram snacks Karaikudi, Tamilnadu. With step by step pictures.

This is Soundaram amma’s story. She was a typical home maker until her quiet world toppled over when her husband met with an accident and was disabled for a while. After some time, she also lost her only son in a road accident. This business became her livelihood and she worked so hard and buried all her worries making snacks day and night. The business has become so big and Soundaram is a household name in Karaikudi now. Even today, each and every product gets packed only after Soundaram Aachi does the taste testing. A very passionate, hard working, down to earth person who will make you feel that the world is a better place because of people like her. She has a grandson from her daughter and she could not stop talking about him the whole time. She is the cutest person you will ever meet in your life. So when you are in Karaikudi, you should not miss this gem of a place thats a heaven for foodies. Soundaram Snacks is located at Number 28, MGR Street, Soodamani Puram, Karaikudi – 3. Phone Number+(91)-4565-650733.

The sight of mountains of murukku made from scratch cannot be described in words. Everything at Soundaram is made by hand.

Here is how to do Thenkuzhal murukku chettinad style. There are two methods to do this recipe. One is using the traditional method where rice is soaked, dried and ground to a fine powder. The second one is to use the store bought idiyappam flour. This is an easier method and produces equally good results. If you are using the traditional method, follow the instructions below. Soundaram Aachi suggests using the following variety of raw rice if you are in Tamilnadu. C.R.Pachai or IR20. If you are else where, use the raw rice variety you can get in the grocery stores. Soak the raw rice in water for one hour. After soaking for an hour, drain the water completely and dry the rice on a cloth for 3-4 hours. The rice needs to dry in shade only. Not under the sun. Once the rice is dried and has very little moisture left, grind to a fine powder. Usually the rice is ground to a fine powder by giving it in a rice mill. If grinding at home, grind in very small quantities in a mixie until its really smooth. Once the powder is ready, sieve and set aside. If you are going to use ready made idiyappam flour, this step is not necessary.

Dry roast the urad dal in very low flame until the dal starts to smell aromatic. Do not let the dal brown. Remove off heat and allow it to cool. Once the dal is cool, grind in a mixie to a very smooth powder. Once the powder is ready, sieve and set aside.

Mix in the rice powder, dal powder and salt. My little iron man did the mixing for me. Add the ghee and water and mix into a pliable soft dough. Make little logs to fill the murukku press.

Heat oil in a pan in medium flame until hot and press the murukkus from the murukku press directly in oil. Soundaram Aachi says, that’s the secret to getting crispy light murukkus.

Remove once the bubbles in oil settle down and store in an air tight container for up-to 2 weeks. My murukku was in all shapes and sizes but tasted great.

• 750 grams Raw Rice or Idiyappam Rice Flour
• 300 grams Urad dal
• 1.5 tablespoon salt
• 4 - 5 tablespoon ghee
• Water to mix
• Oil for deep frying (sunflower oil, canola or refined peanut oil)

1. Soak the raw rice in water for one hour. After soaking for an hour, drain the water completely and dry the rice on a cloth for 3-4 hours. The rice needs to dry in shade only. Not under the sun. Once the rice is dried, grind to a fine powder. Usually the rice is ground to a fine powder by giving it in a rice mill. If grinding at home, grind in very small quantities in a mixie until its really smooth. Once the powder is ready, sieve and set aside.
2. Dry roast the urad dal in very low flame until the dal starts to smell aromatic. Do not let the dal brown. Remove off heat and allow it to cool. Once the dal is cool, grind in a mixie to a very smooth powder. Once the powder is ready, sieve and set aside.
3. Mix in the rice powder, dal powder and salt. Add the ghee and water and mix into a pliable soft dough. Make little logs to fill the murukku press.
4. Heat oil in a pan in medium flame until hot and press the murukkus from the murukku press directly in oil. Soundaram Aachi says, that’s the secret to getting crispy light murukkus.
5. Remove once the bubbles in oil settle down and store in an air tight container for upto 2 weeks. My murukku was in all shapes and sizes but tasted great.

Notes

Troubleshooting while murukku making – what can go wrong and how to rectify If the murukku is cracking on the sides when pressed, add in a little more water to the dough and mix well. If the murukku is hard to bite after fried, add in a tablespoon or two of ghee to the dough and mix well. By any chance the dough becomes too soft, add in a little bit of rice flour and mix well.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 3 hours
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Snacks
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu, South Indian