Tomato Rice

I have been wanting to try this recipe after eating way back in the 90s when one of my colleagues used to bring it for lunch. I can still remember his mom used to make this delicious tomato rice or Tomato bhaath as he used to say. Spicy rice busting with a lot of flavor and I remember the taste even to this day. Very appealing when he used to open his lunch box. And to my surprise, my brother in law makes awesome tomato bhaath and I came to know recently about it. I am posting his version of Tomato rice. The mint added in this recipe gives a distinct flavor. Thanks B-I-L for sharing this recipe.
This recipe can be modified according to taste for spicyness and for those who dont eat garlic and/or onion and also can be made nut free.

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice
4 tomatoes
2 large onion sliced/chopped
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh coriander leaves
3-4 green chilli peppers (add more if you want more spicy)
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 inch piece ginger - chopped
salt to taste
Oil

For the tempering:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 spoon black mustard seeds
1 table spoon oil
a few curry leaves
a few sprigs coriander leaves
8-10 Toasted cashews
1/4 spoon turmeric

Method:
1. Wash thoroughly and soak basmati rice in 2 cups of water and leave it for 30 mins
2. In a pan, add 2 table spoons of oil, and fry the garlic and ginger taking care they dont burn
3. Add 1 large chopped onion and fry until lightly browned
4. Add 2 chopped tomatoes and fry until soft
5. Add the green chillies, mint leaves and coriander leaves and fry until wilted
6. Set aside to cool and grind into a paste
7. Now in another pan, preferably a heavy pan or pressure cooker heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and fry till they splutter.
8. Add the remaining chopped onion,fry until brown. Add remaining 2tomatoes and fry until they are soft. (if you are a garlic lover, a few cloves of garlic can be added at this point)Drain the basmati rice and add this to the oil and gently fry for a minute until the rice is coated with oil and the spices
9. Add the ground tomato paste and fry gently for 1 minute until rice gets coated.
10.Add salt, 2 cups of water, mix well and cook covered until rice is done. (If using cooker, cook till 1-2 whistles)
11.Cool a bit and fluff with a fork.
12.Serve garnished with toasted cashews and chopped coriander leaves along with a cup of cool yogurt or raita.

Note:

Generally basmathi needs 1:2 water. But some rice varieties vary. It needs practice to make fluffy basmati rice so measure the water as per the directions on the pack. Because the tomato paste we use here also has some moisture, adjust water accordingly.
While frying rice, be gentle as the rice may break. Use only a wooden spoon as metal spoons may be harsh on the rice grains.

Variations:

Any additional vegetable(s) such as mixed veggies, corn, beans or peas along with the rice,or even plain works fine.
Omit the garlic if you do not like the taste of garlic
Can be made nut free as well by omitting the cashews mentioned in this recipe.
If you want it to be more fragrant, you can also fry 1 bay leaf, a few cloves (2-3) 1 inch piece of cinnamon and a few pepper corns along with the cumin seeds. But make sure you remove these before serving.

Spicy Rajmah burgers aka Kidney bean burgers

Being a vegetarian, it is a bit challenging to match the protein in the diet when compared to meat lovers. Dieticians often advise us to include protein in every meal. So now, I include lots of beans such as chickpeas or kidney beans with every meal, whether it is in the form of salad, or hummus or even burgers.
I have posted bean and quinoa burger in my earlier post. This is also a similar one except that this is more filling, it retains its shape well unlike the quinoa burger that is a bit on the softer side. This is a full meal on its own with proteins and carbohydrates. The seasoning depends on individual taste. You can make it spicy according to your taste as well. The corn flour in the burger gives the crunchy texture. Note that this is not deep fried; as all the ingredients used to make it are pre-cooked. It is also a healthier version for health conscious people as you can get the right texture by shallow frying it on a griddle or a grill pan.











Ingredients:

For the burgers:

Kidney beans or Rajmah - 1 cup (Soaked over night and cooked until soft and drained)
Potato- 1 large, boiled and mashed
Corn flour - 2 table spoons
Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2, Chopped fine
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (This is optional, use it only if needed)
Cilantro/Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons (Chopped fine)
Amchur powder - 2 tsp
Chaat masala - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying (You can also use oil spray)

For serving:

Burger buns - 8 nos
1/4 cup mint and coriander chutney
1/4 cup garlic chutney
Salad leaves as required
Cucumber, onion, pickles and tomato slices
Cheese slice - Optional


Method:

1. Using either a food processor, or a potato masher, mash the beans until soft. (If there are a few unmashed pieces of beans, dont worry, that will add a crunch to the burger)
2. In a big bowl, add the mashed beans, mashed potato, all the dry powders, cilantro, green chillies, bread crumbs, corn flour and salt. Mix well to form a soft mixture. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
3. Make about 8 small portions and roll them into small balls shaping like patties
4. Heat a griddle or a grill pan and add oil spray or 1 tablespoon of oil. Swirl the pan to coat all the edges
5. Fry these patties, turning both sides until they are crisp on the outside.
6. You can also grill these patties with a cheese slice until cheese melts slightly

Assembling the burgers:

1. Toast the buns with butter until lightly golden
2. Apply Mint and coriander chutney on one slice of the bun and garlic chutney on the other side
3. Arrange some lettuce and place one patty on it
4. Arrange Cucumber, onion, pickles and tomato slices on top of the burger
5. Close with the remaining half of the bun and serve immediately.

Note:
The patties can also be eaten as is with some green chutney and tomato kethup on the side
Rajmah can be substituted with chikpeas or black beans.
Paneer can be used instead of Potato
Use coconut oil or olive oil spray instead of regular oil to give a distinct coconut flavor to the patties.

Mint Chutney:
Grind together 1 cup packed mint leaves, 1 cup packed chopped coriander leaves with 4-5 green chilli peppers, lemon juice and salt. Store in air tight container

Spicy Garlic chutney:
Soak 6-7 kashmiri red chillies in water until soft. Grind this soaked chillies with 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder and 1-2 cloves of garlic and salt until smooth.

Note: Kashmiri chillies are a variety of chillies that gives the bright color to any dish, they are not that spicy. They are wrinkly in texture.
Omit the red chilli powder if not eating too spicy.