This is my first post to The Red Kitchen. Yay! I was inspired by Kristine's question about rice, so here is one of my favorite recipes using rice. It is tomato rice, Tamil Nadu (India) style. I got this recipe from my friend Niveditha.

Ingredients

For seasoning :
Oil 2 tbsp or more to taste
Bay leaf 1
Cloves 3-4
Cinnamon 2-3
Cardomom 3-4

Other:
Onion 3 medium
Green chillies 3-4
Tomatoes 5 or more
Salt to taste
Chilli powder (not American chilli powder. this means crushed, powdered red chilis...this makes the recipe spicy)
1 tsp or to taste
Coriander powder 1.5 tsp
Turmeric a pinch
Coconut milk powder 2 tbsp
(you can also sub coconut milk from a can)

White rice, rinsed to taste, generally two cups
uncooked

Method :

Heat oil in a wok or large, deep skillet. When hot, add the ingredients for seasoning. After a few seconds, add onion, and saute for a few seconds and add green chillies. Once the onions are golden in color, add tomatoes, and the other ingredients, other than coconut powder. Mix the
coconut milk powder in a few tsps of water to make a solution (not necessary if you substitute coconut milk) and spoon into the pan when tomatoes and the other powders are cooked. When it comes to a boil, switch off the stove.

Simultaneously, make rice in the rice cooker. By the time u have finished the above mixture, the rice in the cooker will be half done. Add the above mixture to the half done rice, and let the rice cooker do the rest.

This rice is served with raita, which is a yogurt salad. The yogurt cools down the heat of the rice (if you don't like spicy food) and really compliments the taste. Keep them seperate until just before putting them in your mouth!

1/2 c. sour cream (I use lite)
1 c. plain yogurt (I also use lite)
1/4 c. fresh chopped coriander (cilantro)
1 t. coriander powder
2-4 fresh green chilis (to taste), seeded and diced
2 cucumbers, cut in half, seeded, and grated
1 tomato, seeded and chopped small
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Serve chilled.

Enjoy!!

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