Quick Tomato Pulao - Make It With Leftover Rice
Heat Ghee in a frying pan. Add cumin seeds, garlic and dried red chillies. After 30 seconds, add pureed fresh tomatoes and saute briefly. Spread cooked rice on top of the tomato Masala. Sprinkle salt, chilli powder and Garam Masala, then splash a little water on top; do NOT stir! Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 6-8 min. Turn heat off and set aside, undisturbed, for 5-7 min. Stir gently to mix. Serve immediately, steaming hot, garnished with cilantro and lime/lemon wedge. Enjoy!
Equipment
- 1 Medium frying pan (10 inch/25 cm) with well-fitting lid non-stick pan preferred: without non-stick coating, may need more oil to prevent sticking. OK to use a wok if frying pan is not available.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Cooked Basmati rice - slightly firm texture - packed loosely to measure fluffed gently with wet fingers to break up clumps and separate rice grains; made from 1/2 cup raw rice
- 1/2 cup Tomatoes - chopped for making puree
- 1 tsp Garlic - chopped 1-2 small-medium cloves
- 2 tsp Ghee (clarified butter) if not available, use 1 tbsp butter; for vegan Pulao, replace with mild-flavored oil of your choice - peanut, canola, etc. I do not recommend using olive oil for this dish.
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 whole Dried red chilli - broken into 2-3 pieces, discard seeds mild variety is best - Byadgi, Kashmiri Mirchi, Arbol is OK, but can be rather spicy
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric
- 3/8 tsp Salt - divided into 2 portions: 1/8 tsp + 1/4 tsp adjust as per preference later
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Red chilli powder adjust as per spice level preferred; if you want less spicy, mix some paprika with red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp Garam Masala powder home-made is best; store-bought is OK too, but will likely have less flavor.
- 2-3 tbsp Water
Garnish
- 2 tsp Lime/lemon juice
- 1/4 cup Fresh Coriander leaves (Cilantro) - chopped if not available, OK to omit; can also substitute with 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves (spearmint, Pudina)
Instructions
- Fluff the cooked rice. If it feels a bit sticky, dip your fingers in a bowl of water, and gently separate any clumps with wet fingers. If you have just taken the rice out of the refrigerator, spread it out on a glass/ceramic dinner plate, cover and microave on hi 2 min. Set aside, covered, while you prep and saute the tomato-garlic Masala.
- Peel and chop garlic.
- Chop tomatoes and puree in chopper/food processor without added water. If using a blender, pulse-chop to puree.
- Heat Ghee (or butter/oil) in frying pan (hi heat) for about 30 seconds, then decrease heat to medium and add cumin seeds - they will sizzle immediately. Turn the heat down to prevent burning the spices, then add turmeric, chopped garlic and dried red chilli pieces.
- After 30 seconds, add 1/8 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar and pureed tomatoes.
- Stir, cover and cook 1-2 min on low-medium heat. Spread the partially cooked tomatoes evenly over the base of the pan.
- Spread the fluffed cooked rice evenly over the tomato Masala. Sprinkle remaining salt (1/4 tsp), Garam Masala and red chilli powder evenly over the rice. Do NOT stir!Splash a little water - about 2 tbsp all over - be sure to add some water around the edge - not just in the middle! Do NOT stir!
- Cover with well-fitting lid and cook, without stirring, for 5-7 min on low-medium heat. The tomato Masala continues to cook and the steam generated during this time carries the all flavors into the rice.Turn heat off and leave it on the stove for 5-7 min, undisturbed. This allows the trapped steam to be re-absorbed into the rice and enhance its texture.
- While rice is cooking and resting, trim, rinse and chop the cilantro. Cut a lime/lemon into wedges. See Recipe Notes for suggestions about what to serve along with this rice dish.
- After resting the rice remove the lid. Drizzle lime/lemon juice evenly over the top. Time to stir - gently- without smashing the delicate rice grains!To stir the hot rice gently without smashing the rice, use this simple technique: (be a little patient and gentle as you do this)Insert a flat spatula/spoon under a small portion of the rice, all the way to the bottom and turn gently, to bring the tomato Masala to the top. Repeat with small all the way around the pan, turning over only small sections at a time.Do resist the urge to turn over larger portions at a time, just to get it done fast. The hot rice has a tendency to get smashed and become a sticky mess. Not quite what you would want at the end, is it?!
- Well-mixed, ready to garnish and serve! Notice how the rice grains look intact, not mushy. Taste-test a spoonful, and adjust salt and chilli powder to your taste-preference - maybe up to 1/8 tsp more of one or both. Gently stir in to mix.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Serve, piping hot, along with your favorite accompaniments, like Raita, Papad, spicy pickles, etc.Great rice dish to include in a traditional Indian meal, along with Sabji, Dal, Roti, etc.
Notes
Serving suggestions:
Serve this Tomato Pulao with:- Raita (Rye-Thaa): any kind
- Pain yogurt, sprinkled with salt, black pepper and Chaat Masala
- Papad
- Spicy Indian style pickles - any kind
- Any full-course Indian meal - Curried vegetables, Dal, Salad/Koshimbir, Roti/Naan, spicy Mint chutney, etc.
- Roasted cashews
- Crispy, golden, fried onions
- Blanched green peas
- Sauteed and lightly seasoned green bell pepper (Simla Mirch)
Leftovers:
Since this Pulao is made from leftover rice, I recommend using it up as soon as possible. So I do not recommend freezing any leftovers.- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator and consume within 1-2 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 4gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 453mgPotassium: 242mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 887IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg
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