Tomato Rice with Whole Spices

My Favourite Rice Recipes

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_0537Are you one of those extremely organized individuals who make a meal plan for the week, shop for all required ingredients and stick to the meal plan? I used to do that many years ago, but somewhere along the line things changed gradually until I started living by the day. I am in that group of people known as “impulse shoppers” I see it, I like it, I buy it. I see it the price is so good, I buy it. I visualize a meal I saw on someone else’s blog, I buy the ingredients. Somewhere along the line I found myself with 10 overripe tomatoes, so I started googling tomato recipes. After going through almost thirty complicated recipes I settled for the simplest, Tomato Rice.

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_1461Then began the debate on weather it should just be simple tomato rice with broth, salt and pepper or something more inspiring and complicated.  Eventually I decided to add some whole spices. I have several jars of whole spices glaring at me every time I open the pantry door…so I managed to use 6 whole cardamons (200 more to go), 6 whole cloves (maybe 1000 more to go, why did I buy so much??) and 4 inches of Ceylon cinnamon sticks (maybe a metre or two to go) and a quarter of that huge bunch of cilantro I hoped I’d use to make some salsa verde. I wasn’t expecting anything special but I must say I really loved the rice. Somewhere around midnight I was still nibbling the leftovers. I loved it. I hope you’ll do too!

  • Ingredients 
  • 400g (2 cups) basmati rice
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil or ghee (you can reduce if you wish)
  • 6-8 whole cloves
  • 6-8 cardamon pods, split open at the tip
  • 4 inch cinnamon stick broken into pieces
  • ½-1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large onion moonsliced
  • 5 medium tomatoes finely chopped (3 cups when chopped) or you can use 1 x 540ml (19fl oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon good quality tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • ¼-½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
  • 750ml (3 cups) water or stock (broth)
  • Salt to taste

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_0510Please always remember to assemble all ingredients before you start

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_0512Wash and soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly, set aside. Heat the oil or ghee in a wide non-stick pan. Fry the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon, chilli flakes (if using) and bay leaves

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_0515for about one minute (be careful the hot spices tend to pop up).

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_0518Add the onions and cook until soft and light golden.

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_0521Add tomatoes, tomato paste, curry powder, ground pepper and half the finely chopped coriander (cilantro) and cook for about 5 minutes on medium high heat until smooth.

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_0526Add the rice

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_0529and mix thoroughly to combine.

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_0530Add  the water or stock and enough salt to taste. Bring the water to a rolling boil, stirring from time to time. Cover, reduce the heat to minimum and simmer for 12 minutes. Please do not lift the lid during the twelve minutes.Switch off the heat and leave undisturbed for a further 12 minutes.

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_0533Lift the lid, stir in the remaining coriander (cilantro), fluff the rice

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_1459and serve immediately.

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices myfavouritepastime.com_0538I certainly enjoyed eating this rice.

Tomato Rice with Whole Spices

Preparation time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes soaking time; Cooking time: 40 minutes; Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 400g (2 cups) basmati rice
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil or ghee (you can reduce if you wish)
  • 6-8 whole cloves
  • 6-8 cardamon pods, split open at the tip
  • 4 inch cinnamon stick broken into pieces
  • ½-1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large onion moonsliced
  • 5 medium tomatoes finely chopped (3 cups when chopped) or you can use 1 x 540ml (19fl oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon good quality tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • ¼-½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
  • 750ml (3 cups) water or stock (broth)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash and soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly, set aside.
  2. Heat the oil or ghee in a wide non-stick pan. Fry the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon, chilli flakes (if using) and bay leaves for about one minute (be careful the hot spices tend to pop up). Add the onions and cook until soft and light golden.
  3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, curry powder, ground pepper and half the finely chopped coriander (cilantro) and cook for about 5 minutes on medium high heat until smooth. Add the rice and mix thoroughly to combine. Add water or stock and enough salt to taste. Bring the water to a rolling boil, stirring from time to time. Cover, reduce the heat to minimum and simmer for 12 minutes. Please do not lift the lid during the twelve minutes.
  4. Switch off the heat and leave undisturbed for a further 12 minutes. Lift the lid, stir in the remaining coriander (cilantro), fluff the rice and serve immediately.

myfavouritepastime.com 

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Author: Liz

I love everything food: eating, cooking, baking and travelling. I also love photography and nature.

76 thoughts

  1. Liz give this a try I m so sure you will love it… Zafrani Kheema Pulao (Mince Meat Pulao flavored with Saffron)http://modernindianmom.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/zafrani-kheema-pulao-mince-meat-pulao-flavored-with-saffron/

    Reply

  3. This combination of spices sounds great and it looks delicious on pictures. It`s a pity you can`t attach some sort of a taste file to these tempting photos…. 😉
    Happy spring!

    Reply

    1. Oh I ate mine standalone but you can serve it with anything that goes well with rice. Grilled/barbecued/fried side would be nice.. Have a lovely day
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Dear Sophie,
      Thanks for making the rice and serving it with some grilled redfish. It must have been a wonderful combination, I can only imagine. Have a lovely day, dear Sophie.
      Liz

      Reply

  7. Haha! We have much in common when it comes to an over abundance of ingredients that came from an impulse buy, or a “great idea” that just plain fizzled out!
    This rice though, makes me happy that you did have an over abundance… it looks absolutely delicious. The combination of spices are perfect!
    Wonderful post. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi
      LOL I’ve got many such ingredients in the cold room waiting for these “great ideas” that were thought of in the spur of a moment and promptly forgotten. The rice tasted nice. We enjoyed eating, Have a lovely day!
      Liz

      Reply

  9. Tomato Rice!
    I just got a recipe for tomato rice a few weeks ago.
    I was watching Farah Quinn’s new show. She is one of the “celeb chefs” in Indonesia. 😀

    Reply

      1. Here is the translation of the recipe (it’s in Indonesian)

        Ingredients:
        50 gram of butter
        100 gram of garlic (finely chopped)
        5 gram of chili flakes
        50 gram ginger root (julienne)
        400 gram tomato (harshly chopped)
        100 gram ketchup
        200 gram cooked rice
        30 gram lemon basil (harshly chopped)
        100 gram lean chicken meat
        2 tablespoon of peas
        10 gram of rosemary
        10 gram of parsley
        salt & pepper to taste
        Olive oil

        directions:
        1. marinate the chicken with the rosemary, half of the garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and oil.
        Set aside

        2. stir fry the rest of the garlic, ginger and chili flakes.

        3. add in the rice, ketchup and tomato, let it slowly reduce with low flame.

        4. Meanwhile, grill the chicken and set aside.

        5. Add salt and pepper into the rice. Serve with lemon basil and grilled chicken.

        I have not tried the recipe. I have been crazily busy these last few weeks. The Chinese folks are preparing for the grave visiting festival. It was the three weeks time in which we are allowed to clean and repair our ancestors’ graves. 🙂

        Reply

        1. THanks Hari for the recipe. It sounds like a really appetizing one. I shall try it maybe next week. Have a wonderful weekend!
          Liz

        2. I am having 2 days off, which is super rare. I do not have a specific agenda but I’ll make sure I really enjoy the two days! 😀
          Have a great Sunday, Liz!

        3. Two days off, sounds great. I hope you have a really wonderful time. Have a great week ahead, Hari!
          Liz

  12. Oh man, tomato rice always holds a special place in my heart! Hahah I remember I’d take my friends’ portions shamelessly, even when it was the grim cafeteria version. I haven’t had some for ages, and this certainly looks better than the portions we got on our trays in elementary school 🙂 Must be trying this soon to relive all that I loved about childhood. The warm spices sound delightful.

    Reply

    1. Hi Irina,
      I hadn’t had some for ages too and I’m glad I made this one. At least I can be eating it once a week. Thanks and have a wonderful weekend!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Ha ha. I have to stop midnight snacking. I think that’s why people who sleep late add more weight…more time to snack instead of sleeping!
      Liz

      Reply

  16. When I had a family to feed – I used to plan and shop for the week… now…I hardly ever do it. But – I do try to keep my pantry and freezer somewhat stocked with ‘possibilities’. I’ve come up with several recipes for my blog just by using what I have. I really like this recipe & it seems you’ve come up with a real ‘winner’ by using what you had on hand!!

    Reply

    1. Hi Cecile,
      Thank you for liking the recipe. The rice tasted very nice. My freezer is full too. I must pop in and see what I can make. Thanks for visiting!
      Liz

      Reply

  19. This does sound really good (though the wife is not a big fan of rice). A nice array of spices that you utilized. This would be a nice basis for a larger dish, throw in some beans, some south western spicy chicken, add a little more stock, hmm… thanks for making me hungry for dinner at 8 in the morning lol I tend to shop the same way sometimes (though I do also have my meals I pre-prepare and freeze). I typicaly hit up the produce place first and then depenndent on what I see or they have good deals on then I plan the meals around that. And then there are the times where I just crave certain things and must buy lol

    Reply

    1. Hi Chad,
      Good morning. It’s nice to hear from you. I think the next time I make this rice, I’ll throw in some beans, and chicken. That sounds like a nice addition. I rarely pre-prepare and freeze. I just love my food nice and fresh although there tends to be left over sometimes..I always crave nuts. I tend not to stock them because I overeat them. Thanks for visiting, and wetting my appetite with an apple-macadamia pancake at 8 in the morning. Have a lovely day!
      Liz

      Reply

  20. This looks wonderful. We will have to try it sometime. The boys love rice. I don’t care for the mess they make though…little grains of rice all over! Some day they will be less messy…

    Reply

    1. Mama D
      Ha all boys are the same until they reach a certain age. My 13 year old still makes a mess with rice all over and sometimes even under the table. I know soon your garden will be overflowing with tomatoes and other special things. Lucky you! Have a wonderful day.
      Liz

      Reply

        1. I have been baking from your blog…the muffins are just cooling on the table. I haven’t tasted yet but they look lovely…
          Liz

        3. The Coconut and Mango. They look very pretty but I haven’t tasted yet. I want to take some photos before the kids troop back. Enjoy your German lentil soup!
          Liz

        7. I have practice from Monday to Friday with either of the kids and the earliest I ever come back is 9.30pm. It does get busy and I hated it during the really cold weeks. Now the temperatures have improved slightly at 14F on average at night. Have a lovely day. I shall be posting pictures of your muffins soon.
          Liz

  24. I have read and re-read the recipe and can’t find the amount of onion only where to add and cooking method, did I miss an ingredient or is it just hiding :-).

    Reply

    1. Hi Jan
      I probably forgot to type it in. I shall add it right now. I’ve had a long day today so I have to read through that recipe again tomorrow to ensure everything is right. Its almost 1.00 am I need to snooze. Thanks for noting…and enjoy the week!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi Aruna,
      Ha ha I love tomatoes, especially with pasta or meatballs or in a sandwich with cheese. It tastes awesome. or in a BLT salad. Enjoy the week!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi Judie
      Ha ha I had it solo…I love rice so much I can eat it just he way it’s….no need for beef or anything else. Are you not asleep? Did you take beautiful pictures? you were on your way to someplace nearby. Have a goodnight
      Liz

      Reply

      1. Yes, we went to Bisbee, AZ. This is a funky little town about 20 miles away with innumerable photo ops. I’ll get one up tomorrow. Watch for it! ;->

        Reply

  27. Very interesting.. Will try this one for sure.. Thank you for sharing. I love tomatoes, I haven’t tried one with rice before. 🙂

    Reply

  28. Heloo liz, your blog is sounding more indian day by day with all the delicious rice recipes you are adding. Now, may i tempt you to go a step ahead and once try making – Biryani. The most favoured one pot meal of india…you would sure love it. Your tomato rice looks tempting.

    Reply

    1. Dear Ummfathima,
      I used to make mutton Biryani many years ago. I remember adding yoghurt, cinnamon, cloves, orange and red food colours and it ended in the oven…and came out smelling heavenly…but I lost the recipe. Please swing me that Biryani recipe and I shall be happy to start eating Biryani, again. Have a wonderful week
      Liz

      Reply

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