TASTY TOMATO RICE. Pictured is Indian Tomato Rice, a popular southern Indian dish typically prepared when there is an abundance of ripe, red tomatoes and leftover basmati rice. (Milk Street via AP)

From The Asian Reporter, V34, #9 (September 2, 2024), pages 15.

By Christopher Kimball

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street

Robust tomato flavor is key to tomato rice, a popular southern Indian dish typically prepared when there is an abundance of ripe, red tomatoes and leftover basmati rice. It’s a versatile but intensely savory dish that can be eaten as a light meal with a dollop of yogurt or paired with seafood, poultry, or even a simple fried egg.

In this recipe from our cookbook Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year, we use a combination of cherry or grape tomatoes and tomato paste to impart deep tomato flavor. Cherry tomatoes are reliably sweet year-round, but this dish is extra special when made with in-season tomatoes.

We were inspired by Madhur Jaffrey’s tomato rice recipe in Vegetarian India, though we upped the intensity of the spices along with the tomato flavor. We use brown or black mustard seeds for their pungency, and sizzle them with an aromatic mixture of cumin, coriander, garlic, and ginger until the seeds pop and the mixture is fragrant.

With so few components in the dish, it’s important to cook the rice properly. It should be fluffy and tender, with each grain separated. Be sure to rinse and drain the rice well to wash away excess starch, and don’t skip the soaking step. This traditional approach gives the rice time to expand gently and cook up tender and separate, and is especially important when cooking with acidic tomato paste.

Once the rice is soaked and rinsed, stir the rice into the mustard seed mixture, stirring to ensure each grain is coated with the flavorful oil. Stir in a combination of water and tomato paste, bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, add quartered fresh tomatoes, and let sit to finish cooking. Stir in the cilantro, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.

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Start to finish: 35 minutes (15 minutes active)

Servings: 4

1 cup white basmati rice, rinsed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon brown or black mustard seeds

2 bird’s eye chilies, stemmed and halved lengthwise (optional)

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

Kosher salt

½ pound cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered

¼ cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro

In a bowl, combine the rinsed rice with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch and let soak for 15 minutes. Drain the rice very well. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, combine 1¼ cups water and the tomato paste and whisk until dissolved.

In a large saucepan over medium, combine the oil, cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, chilies (if using), garlic, and ginger. Cook until the seeds begin to pop and the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in the rice and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook until the rice is coated with oil, about 30 seconds. Stir in the water-tomato paste mixture and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the tomatoes, and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro, fluffing the rice with a fork.