Tomato Rice without onion and garlic is tangy, spicy, delicious, satisfying, and filling. This easy-to-make recipe is straightforward and one-pot!
I love this recipe for a quick dinner or as a perfect side dish for a complete meal. Tomato Rice is one of those dishes that you would like to have as a comfort meal. We can serve this rice with curry, plain yogurt, and Raita, or it is excellent as it is.
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About Tomato Rice
Tomato Rice is a famous South Indian dish with many flavors along with the tanginess of tomatoes. The beauty of this recipe is that it is a one-pot dish. And with the correct amount of water, this rice comes out perfectly each time.
It is a straightforward recipe using only one pot. The only thing we need to do in advance is to soak rice. However, that is also not much in advance. So rinse and soak the rice first and start preparing other stuff. So by the time you cut your veggies and prepare other ingredients, the rice will be soaked.
With the water I have used in this recipe, rice grains will almost stay intact and separate. But if you prefer your Tomato Rice with more soft and little mushy rice grains, use ¼ to ⅓ cup of water more than mentioned in the recipe.
Why You Will Love This Tomato Rice
- One-Pot Recipe
- Spicy, Tangy, and Delicious
- Easy To Make and Filling
- Serve as a Mains or Side Dish
- Perfect Pot-Luck Recipe
- Flavorful
Ingredients
- Rice: I always use Basmati rice for this recipe. We use basmati rice for most of the rice dishes. But you can use any rice of your choice. However, I will recommend using long-grain rice for this recipe. If you prefer, you can also use brown rice instead of white rice. And if you decide to use brown rice, you may need to add more water.
- Tomatoes: This is the main ingredient of this recipe. So make sure to use ripe tomatoes to make this rice. I always use plum tomatoes but use the one you prefer or that is available to you.
- Other Veggies: I have added chopped cabbage and celery to this rice. The purpose is to add some nutrition and a crunch to Tomato Rice. We can add more veggies to this recipe or exclude them entirely. So if you want to add more veggies, I suggest green peppers, carrots, green beans (everything finely chopped), and green peas. If you do not have celery available, adding only cabbage is also fine.
- Spices: I have used whole spices as well as spice powders. Everything I have used in this recipe is mostly available in our pantry. When using spices, always go with your family’s preferences. So you can add more spices or skip one or two from this recipe.
- Vangi Bhath Masala Powder: This masala is used to make Vangi Bhath. Vangi Bhath is eggplant rice or pulao using eggplants. We don’t eat eggplants often, but I love Vangi Bhath because of the Vangi Bhath Masala. It is very flavorful and provides a delicious taste to the rice. Because it is not easily available in the nearby grocery stores, I always make it at home. And so, because it was sitting in my pantry, I decided to use it in tomato rice. I found that this masala provides more deliciousness to tomato rice. So apart from Vangi Rice, I also use it in this recipe. But again, this masala is optional; you skip it or replace it with Sambar Masala or even Garam Masala powder.
Helpful Tips
It takes approximately 20-25 minutes to cook tomato rice on low heat. So after 20 minutes, carefully lift the lid and check if all the water is absorbed or not. If water is absorbed, taste the rice and check if it is cooked. If the rice is done, turn off the heat. But if you think the rice is still undercooked and there is no water, add 3-4 tablespoon of water and continue cooking.
Making Tomato Rice in Pressure Cooker
We can make this recipe in the pressure cooker. I make this rice in a non-stick pot or a deep pan on the stovetop. The reason is so that I can open the lid of the pan and check if the water is absorbed or not.
But if you like, you can also cook this rice dish in a pressure cooker. So follow the recipe exactly, and after adding water, close the pressure cooker lid and cook up to two whistles. Once the pressure is released, open the cover, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
- Tomato Rice is delicious and filling to have as it is. But serving with yogurt or Raita makes it a complete meal. Also, we can serve it with curry.
- Our family favorite is to have Tomato Rice with yogurt or Chhas (Indian Buttermilk). If we have guests for lunch or dinner, Tomato Rice is great to have as a side dish.
More Rice Recipes
You May Like More Comforting Recipes
- Maa Chole Ki Dal (No Onion No Garlic)
- Jeera Rice (Restaurant Style) / Indian Cumin Rice
- Dal Makhani No Onion No Garlic │ Jain Dal Makhani
- Dal Palak (No Onion No Garlic) / Spinach Dal
- Amritsari Sookhi Dal / Sookhi (Dry) Urad Dal No Onion No Garlic
Recipe Card
Tomato Rice (One Pot) / Tomato Rice No Onion No Garlic
Video
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Basmati Rice ((or your choice of long grain rice))
- 4 Tomatoes ((large), finely chopped)
- 1 Cup cabbage (finely chopped)
- ¼ Cup celery (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1- inch cinnamon stick
- 2 Green Cardamoms whole
- 8-10 Curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 2 teaspoon green chili paste ((or to taste))
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoon red chili powder ((Kashmiri))
- 2 teaspoon Vangi Bhath Masala or Sambar Masala ((Optional))
- ¼ Cup coriander leaves (finely chopped)
- Salt to taste
- 1 & ½ Cups water
Instructions
- Rinse the rice 2-3 times and soak it in 2 cups of water for 15-20 minutes. While the rice is soaking, cut the veggies, and prepare other ingredients. Then drain the rice and set aside.
- In a pot or a deep pan, heat oil and add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and green cardamoms. Saute for few seconds or until spices are fragrant.
- Add cumin seeds and curry leaves; after they start sizzling, add ginger and chili paste. Saute for a few seconds.
- Add chopped celery and cabbage. Cook it for 2-3 minutes. Now add chopped tomatoes and mix well.
- Now add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder, and Vangi Bhath or Sambar Masala powder (if using). Mix well and let it cook until tomatoes are soft and pulpy. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix.
- Add drained rice to the tomato mixture and add 1 & ½ cups of water. Add salt to taste and mix well.
- Let the mixture come to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the rice for 20-25 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is cooked.
- Serve the hot Tomato Rice as it is or with yogurt or curry.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think.