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Tomato Pulao

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Tomato Pulao

 

It was bad news even before the New Year started. My Hubby’s hometown is an hour drive from both Pondicherry and Cuddalore the worst hit places by the Cyclone “Thane”. Both the days were spent in calling up our relatives and friends and checking up on their safety. The worst part was that no phone connection could be established at all as the cell phone towers have been felled by the relentless ghostly winds. It was a sad day for me as their places have been totally ransacked. They will not be getting electricity at least for the next 10-15 days.

 

 

They do not have basic supplies of drinking water, fuel, milk, vegetables etc., We wanted to travel there and check up  personally but my In-laws were stubborn to let us come as there are literally no roads left to travel. All the roads are blocked by the felled trees damaging the phone and electric cables. The worst hit were the farmer friends as they have lost the crops of rice and sugarcane which they had planned to harvest a week before “Pongal”.

 

 

It was very disheartening to hear our Aunt’s crying over the phone as the oldest Mango tree in the village which stood so majestically in her grove has been uprooted completely by the ghastly winds. The specialty of the tree is that it bears fruits all around the year and there are so many swings on the trees branches for the children to play. It wasn’t their mistake that they consider the animals they rear, crops they sow and plants and trees they take care of as their own children. Who are we to judge and rant at Nature when it chooses to show its darker side ? All I could do was feel happy in the thought that no physical damage has been done to their lives and homes and pray that they return back to their lives soon enough.

 

 

Tomato Pulao

(Print this Recipe)

You’ll need:

  • Basmati Rice – 1+1/2 cups
  • Tomato – 3
  • Onion – 2, medium size
  • Mint leaves – 1/2 bunch
  • Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
  • Cardamom – 1
  • Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
  • Cloves – 2
  • Bay leaf – 1, torn
  • Fennel Seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
  • Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
  • Salt – to taste
  • Oil / ghee – 2 tbsp

 

 

Method:

Wash and soak the Basmati rice for 10-15 min. Chop the onions into juliennes and the tomatoes roughly. Wash the mint leaves and keep aside.

 

Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker body. Add whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and fennel seeds and sauté till the aroma arises. Add the onions and sauté till they turn pink. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for another min or two till the raw smell disappears. Add the mint leaves now and cook for another min till they shrink in size.

 

Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook till the tomatoes become slightly mushy. Add the red chilli powder and mix well. Now add the soaked basmati rice after draining the water completely. Now add 3 cups of water, garam masala powder and salt and mix it a good mix.

 

Close the lid and cook for 2 whistles. Release pressure immediately. Fluff the rice with a fork and Serve hot with Yogurt Raita.

 

 

How to retain the basmati rice to remain separate even after cooking / How to prevent the Basmati rice from becoming mushy after cooking:

  • Oil a big plate and keep it ready. (A “Thambaalam” would be a good choice). Release the pressure immediately by gently lifting the weight of the pressure cooker with a spoon after you switch off the stove. Open the lid after the pressure is released. Tip the contents of the cooker onto the oiled plate and shake and tap the plate so that the rice spreads all over the plate by itself. Wait for the steam to pass and gently using a sharp edged ladle or a fork fluff the rice. This will avoid the starch from building up and turning the rice mushy while mixing.
  • Never ever mix the rice in the cooker itself.
  • Avoid using wooden spatulas.

 

 

Notes:

  • You can use regular rice for making this pulao.
  • You can also puree the tomatoes and adjust the water accordingly.
  • You can also use a handful or two of fresh peas.

 

This is off to my event Let’s Cook ~ Rice and to Reva’s Royal Feast ~ Biryani

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. meena

    January 4, 2012 at 10:08 am

    interesting recipe.. rice gives us so many options to cook.. yeh cyclone was bad and no damage was there good then..

    i also make pulao in cooker but this tip not to make it soggy or mushy i didnt use. would try it out next time. thankss

    Reply

  4. Kalpana Sareesh

    January 4, 2012 at 10:32 am

    Very sad to hear it Radhika… Hope all r safe.. Govt has no emergency measures .i too heard that power will resume only after a week or so..

    Comin to this pulao its my families fav n it looks so yummy n i love the color which is so perfect..

    Reply

  6. Kalyani

    January 4, 2012 at 10:35 am

    Nature’s fury, Radhika. Yes, the losses are irreplacable, but glad to note that there has been no loss of human life..

    btw, yummy pulao.. and thanks for the tip on how to steam away the starch..
    looks yum !

    Reply

  7. Sudha

    January 4, 2012 at 10:35 am

    Hi Radhika,
    It was really sad to read about the massacre at your relative’s places – the cyclone was indeed very devastating. But then we are mere humans and we really have no power to stall nature’s fury.I hope the situation improves soon.It was so nice meeting you and thank you so much for following me.I hope you have a nice time every time you visit my blog:)See you soon and take care!

    Reply

  8. Lakshmi Venkatesh

    January 4, 2012 at 10:46 am

    Tomato Pulao looks lovely.
    My SIL also lives in Pondy. They were also badly affected by the storm. Trees in their house and factory also were uprooted. Damages becoz of trees falling on the roof also.

    Reply

  9. Fathima

    January 4, 2012 at 11:00 am

    My uncle is also a Farmer. A full seasons work lost due to the vagaries of nature. Oh so sad! Hopefully they can recover from the damage soon. I am thinking of all those small farmers who depend only upon their small holdings for survival. What will they do? Hopefully thr government will do something to ensure their well being.

    Praying for all.

    Fathima

    By the by I am also going to send tomato pulao recipe for the ongoing rice event.

    Reply

  12. Anisha

    January 4, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    Prayers to all the people who have to suffer the wrath of nature at the beginning of the year.

    The pulao looks great. Great tip about keeping the rice separate…even after using pressure cooker. I fear using pressure cooker coz I feel the rice will get over cooked and get mushy, but looking at your pulao I guess I can try it out…

    Reply

  17. Jyoti

    January 4, 2012 at 4:11 pm

    It is indeed sad to hear about the disruption.. But thank god they are unscratched.. I hope and pray that life will be normal for them soon..

    Btw.. Happy New Year.. Hope things will be better from now one.. The worst is over.. Tomato Pulao looks great.. Tempting pictures!

    Reply

  24. Sudha Sabarish

    January 4, 2012 at 7:51 pm

    Its very sad that ur relatives are going thro hard time.Thank god that they are safe.I pray to all the people who are affected by “Thane”.

    Pulav is nice and looks yumm too.Very useful tip.Perfect one pot meal.

    Reply

  25. Roshni

    January 4, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    rice looks so good radhika. and sorry to hear about bad times. It is so heartbreaking for the farmers to loose crops just before harvest. and mango trees and swings in it make so many happy memories for kids. i feel very sad after reading your post.

    Reply

  33. Magic of Spice

    January 5, 2012 at 6:13 am

    A cyclone, how terrible…I am so sorry for you and your family. It sounds like at least they are safe, I hope they get power and such soon.
    Your rice dish if fantastic, love the flavors and color…beautiful!

    Reply

  35. Sharanya

    January 5, 2012 at 11:39 am

    i pray for things to get back to normal soon…. i too have some distant relatives in cuddalore….

    the pulao looks so flavourful…love tomatoes…will try soon…superb pics as usual….

    Reply

  36. Raji

    January 5, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    I hope your family is doing good and are safe..our prayers are with them.

    The pulao looks super good and thanks for sharing the useful tip about basmati.

    Reply

  39. kavita

    February 24, 2012 at 5:04 pm

    Hey Radhika.

    Tried the Tomato Pulav today….was an instant hit….all luved it…esp my Kiddo

    Thanks for the wonderful recipe…looking forward for many more great ones from u…

    Keep up the great work…

    God bless…Happy cooking

    Kavi

    Reply

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