Tomato rice is a south indian dish where rice is made using tomatoes only without adding other vegetables except onions. But to improve the flavor of the dish vegetables like scallions, green chili, spices like ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and pepper are used. If you like you can add other veggies as well. Some people use roasted cashew nuts in this dish to make it more pleasing.

Ingredients : 

• 3 tomatoes, make into a puree or chopped 
• 2 tbsp of oil or butter or ghee  
• 1 big onion, sliced
• 3 cardamoms
• 3 cloves 
• ¼ turmeric powder 
• 1 tsp of red chili powder 
•   ¾ tsp cumin 
• 1 green chili (optional)
• 1 inch of cinnamon
• Half inch ginger (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves (optional)
• 1 ½ cup of basmati rice 
• 1 cup of chopped Scallions or coriander leaves 
• Salt as per your taste 
• Pepper as per your taste 
• Some curry leaves (optional) or a bay leaf 

Method :

After washing and cleaning the rice properly, keep it aside.Chop the ginger and garlic finely and make it into a paste. 

Add 2 tablespoons of  oil into a pan, then heat it. Next add the curry leaves or a bay leaf, cinnamon,cardamoms, cloves  and cumins. You can cook this dish without these spices too. 

Then add  onions and green chili and saute them, when the onions turn golden add the ginger and garlic paste and let it fry for a few seconds. 

After that  add the tomato, turmeric, pepper, salt and mix well. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. If you use chopped tomatoes instead of puree you should cook this until the tomato turns mushy. 

Then add red chili powder. Mix well and let it saute until the mixture turns mushy and soft  and no raw tomato smell coming.  Check the taste and add salt if necessary.  

Add 2 cups of water into the tomato mixture and stir well. Then add the rice, mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat until all the water is gone and rice is done. After the rice is cooked remove the heat and rest for 5 minutes. 

Then add the chopped scallions or coriander leaves now. You can garnish the rice with roasted cashew nuts if you like.   Some people finally squeeze some lemon juice into the rice. 

Sometimes people make this rice with cooked rice as well. When doing so, first you should cook the rice. Then follow the rest of the steps. And add the rice after the tomato mixture turns mushy and soft  and no raw tomato smell coming.