Tomato Rice using leftover cooked rice

Ingredients:

• Ripe Tomato - 3 big

• Onion - 1 small

• Cashews - 4 to 5 nos, chopped

• Ginger - 1 tsp

• Garlic - 2 tsp

• Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup

• Mint Leaves - handful or Mint Flakes - 2 tsp

• Green Chilly - 2 or 3 nos (as per spice level)

• Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

• Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp

• Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp

• Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

• Clove - 1 nos

• Cardamom - 1 nos

• Bay Leaf - 1 nos

• Star Anise - 1 small piece

• Cinnamon - 1 small piece

• Sesame Oil - 1 tbsp

• Ghee - 1 tsp

• Chana Dal - 1 tsp

• Urad Dal - 1 tsp

• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp 

• Red Chilly - 1 or 2 nos

• Curry Leaves - a few

• Hing / Asafoetida - 1 pinch

• Cooked Rice - 3 cups

• Salt to taste

• Jaggery Powder - 1 tsp (Optional)

Method:

• Finely chop tomatoes, onions, cashews, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Slit green chilly. Crush ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, a tbsp of ginger garlic paste may be used as well. 

• Heat sesame oil on medium-high flame in a kadai. Add mustard when oil is hot.

• Wait for the mustard seeds to splutter. Lower the flame to medium and add cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, clove and bay leaf.

• Add green chillies, red chilly, curry leaves, urad dal and chana dal. Saute for few seconds before adding hing.

• Add finely chopped onions followed by crushed ginger and garlic. Saute till onions turn golden.

• Further add turmeric powder, kashmiri red chilly powder, cumin powder, garam masala and mix well. I added mint flakes as leaves were not available. So I added at this stage.

• Cook till raw smell of masalas fade.

• Add in chopped tomatoes and salt to taste, and cook for 5-10 minutes till mushy on medium-high flame.

• Add 2/3 of coriander leaves at this stage and cook well. Add jaggery if needed when tomatoes are mushy.

• When the water from tomatoes evaporates and mixture turns dry, add cooked rice and give it a good mix.

• Cook for couple more minutes.

• Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off the stove.

• It is optional to add a tsp of ghee after switching off the stove to enhance the taste.