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Aloo Masala for Quick Tomato Rice
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Quick and Simple Tomato Rice!

This quick and simple Tomato Rice is a delicious one-pot meal you can make for your toddlers. Since it's so easy to make, this also works well lunch boxes.
Course Lunch Box, Main Dish - Rice
Cuisine India
Keyword Easy Kids Lunch Box Recipe
By Cook Method Stovetop
Occasion Kids Lunch Box
By Diet Kid Friendly
Dish Type Combo Dishes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Srivalli

Ingredients

For the Rice

  • 1 cup Basmati Rice
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 3/4 cup Tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 3/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder (Or you can use 1 green chilli if you want)
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 - 3 tsp Ghee

Whole Spices

  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 2 Cloves
  • 1 inch Cinnamon
  • 1 Cardamom

Instructions

  • Wash and soak rice for 15 - 20 mins.
  • Heat a nonstick pan with ghee, add in the whole spices, sauté well for 2 mins. When the cumin starts spluttering, add in the ginger garlic paste and green chilies if using. Sauté well.
  • Then, add the chopped tomatoes, if you are using red chili powder, add at this stage, along with salt. Simmer and cover with a lid and cook till the tomatoes get really soft. It takes about 5 mins when you cook on high and keep stirring it.
  • Add the drained rice and sauté well so that the rice is well coated. Then, add water. Adjust salt, cover with the lid and cook on high flame, until the water starts boiling.
  • Then, simmer and cook it covered with a lid for 10 mins. In between, stir it once but take care not to break the rice.
  • Normally, after the first boil, it takes about 5 mins to get cooked. But, to get the right texture, you can switch off and let the rice rest for a while over the stove.

Notes

  • If you are adding green chilies, make sure you don't slit open the entire chili as seeds will come out and can be spicy for the little ones. I have found that instead of using Red chili powder works out best.
  • The rice gets its red colour from the well mashed tomatoes. This lends the rice a nice red colour without being very spicy.
  • If your kids are like mine, remember not to add turmeric.
  • When I am not using Basmati, I use Sona Masuri, for which I add about 2 + 1/4 cups of water. If your kids like to eat onions, please do add them along with whatever other veggies can be included.
  • As per the doctor's guidance, we can include 2 tbsp of ghee to the kids' diet if you haven't served them that quantity, you can add it to this rice.
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