Tomato Rice / Kerala Style Tomato Rice

There is a list of wishful things I would really like do. Some things that I would like to have. Not much, I am not that demanding..you know!! I love to try for my all wishes, but some wishes are a little complicated. It seems they will take a little time to be fulfilled. Which are very close to my heart. But who knows when!!!
So....lets begin:
I would like to adopt a dog. Not like the German Shepherds...but more like the pugs and the speeches.

 I want to speak fluent French. Just not the bonjour and bonne nuits only. But like a real French lady. I want to spent at least 3 months in Paris. I want to walk through their beautiful pavements. Drink coffee in roadside cafes, have leisurely walks in Louvre, walk through Champs Elysee, drink beautiful wines, eat lots and lots of croissants, be a child for a day in their Disneyland, and visit the museums and royal gardens. Also I want to taste their French food, specially their desserts, then I will shop some French crockeries, some French dresses (if of course I can afford them), have some boat riding....and finally if I have some time I would love to visit the Versailles.

I want to have a big library with lots and lots of books in it. Four walls of a large room covered with wooden open armoirs and then I will stack them with hard covers. Yes...I love hard covers. They give me this classy vintage feel, where I can feel the warmth and weight of the beautiful treasure that I hold on my hands. A secret world between just two hard bounds.

Then I want to travel. Travel around the world. I want to see new places, want to taste their authentic traditional foods. Meet new people and know more of human nature. I would like to have a beautiful aquarium full of colorful fishes. And then I would love to have birds. I don't know much about them...but I really like the cute love birds.

And now the craziest one. I want to have a house in Simla, overlooking the snow covered mountains and with big glass windows, covered with lush lacy white curtains. In winter I will rub my numb fingers over the edge of a hot coffee mug and slowly drink the heavenly delish, enjoying every sip of it.

As for today's recipe I am sharing my spicy tomato rice. Which is a must have when I become lazy and prefer to have some one pot meals. Its very spicy and filling on its own that I don't feel to have anything else to pair with this. Quickly I make some raita, which this time was Aloo Raita / Potato Raita. You can make Potato Raita / Aloo Raita by just mixing the yogurt with some boiled cubes potatoes, salt, sugar, some bhaja mosla (Dry roast the whole cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns and dry red chilies for 2 minutes. Then grind them to a fine powder) and some red chili powder. In the end temper a little oil with cumin seeds, coriander seeds and dry red chili. Pour the hot sizzling oil and spices over the cold prepared raita. Serve immediately.

Tomato Rice / Kerala Style Tomato Rice
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fine Basmati rice
• 5-6 tomatoes - chopped
• 4-5 kashmiri dry red chilies (according to your heat tolerance)
• 1 large onion - sliced
• 2-3 red chilies (optional)
• 6-7 garlic cloves
• 2, 1 inch ginger stick
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 3 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts
• 12-15  curry leaves
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp chana dal
• 2 tbsp oil (preferably coconut oil, otherwise use any unflavored oil)

Method:

• Wash the rice until clear water runs, and then soak it into water for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai, and add 5-6 curry leaves, 2 tsp mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal. When they start sizzling and spluttering add the sliced onions. Sauté and cook until translucent and the edges start to become golden.
• In the mean time make a smooth paste with dry kashmiri red chilies, red chilies, ginger and garlic, with some water. 
• When the onion starts to become golden add the already prepared chili paste. 
• Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until the raw flavor of garlic is gone. Then add the chopped tomatoes.
• Add some salt and cook till tomatoes become mushy and start to release oil.
• Now add the turmeric and red chili powder, and sauté for 1 more minute. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a little water so that the spices don't burn.
• Now add almost 1 and 1/2 cups of water. We need 2 cups of water to cook the rice, but we already have a tomato base, that has oil and water in it. So you have to adjust the water according to that ratio, so that the rice will become fluffy once cooked. If you add too much water, then the cooked rice will become khichdi.
• Add the rice, give a good stir, and cover to let the rice cook.
• You can also add cooked rice, in this stage. Make sure that you keep the rice in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. This will reduce the moisture in the rice and you can handle it more swiftly. After you add the rice, carefully mix the rice with the prepared tomato base, and put off the flame.
• When the rice is cooked, carefully use a fork to fluff the rice.
• In another saucepan heat the rest of the oil and add the cashew nuts. When the cashew nuts become slightly golden add the rest of the mustard seeds, and curry leaves. 
• Once the spices start to splutter and sizzle, pour the entire tempering on the prepared rice.