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    Home » Recipes » Variety Rice

    Tomato rice | Thakkali sadam recipe

    November 28, 2008 by Raks Anand 48 Comments / Jump to Recipe

    Tomato rice, thakkali sadam recipe - a flavorful variety goes well with just fryums/ vadams or a simple potato curry. Perfect for weekends or to make a quick lunch.

    tomato rice | Thakkali sadam
    Thakkali sadam

    Thakkali sadam is a spicy variety rice prepared for lunch. Quick and easy fix especially if you are cooking for one.

    Check out my other version in this website which is equally flavorful but with different set of flavors. Also check out pulao version which is an one pot recipe.

    Jump to:
    • 🍅 What is it?
    • 😍 Why I love it?
    • 👩‍🍳 Storage
    • Goes well with
    • Recipe card
    • Step by step

    🍅 What is it?

    Tomato rice or Thakkali sadam as we call it in Tamil at home (Thakkali means 'Tomato', Sadam means 'cooked rice').

    There are various methods to make this, but mine is make a gravy and mix version.

    😍 Why I love it?

    Two reasons.

    Firstly, I love the garlic flavor in this recipe that goes well with the sweet and tangy tomatoes.

    Secondly, it is so versatile that you can make this tomato rice recipe with leftover rice as well!

    I love thakkali sadam a lot. Initially never got it right when I tried to make.

    Either, will over cook the rice or won't fry the tomato paste to be mixed with rice properly. So the taste won't be perfect.

    Then experience taught me how to make a decent thakkali sadam over time. Check out my lip smacking thakkali kuzhambu recipe in this website.

    Now a days I can proudly say I make tasty tomato rice. Once when I made this, I could see my MIL like this one and asked to make it the same way other day too.

    I felt really happy for the first time that day when I knew I too can make properly as it was my beginning stage in cooking.

    Love the garlic flavor in this a lot. So make sure always add it.

    thakkali sadam recipe
    Tomato rice

    👩‍🍳 Storage

    Thakkali sadam stays good for 6 hours easily in room temperature. But it can easily get spoiled if not fried properly or if hands are used to mix.

    If taking for lunch box, please be aware this gets spoiled soon. So eat as soon as possible.

    If you want to put inside the fridge, first thing cool down and refrigerate immediately. Consume within 24 hours. Re-heat thoroughly before eating again.

    Goes well with

    • Onion raita
    • Potato curry
    • Aloo kurma

    Recipe card

    Tomato rice thakkali sadam-recipe
    Print Pin
    5 from 2 votes

    Tomato rice | Thakkali recipe

    Tomato rice, thakkali sadam recipe - a flavorful variety rice goes well with just fryums/ vadams or a simple potato curry. Perfect for weekends or to make a quick lunch.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Indian
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Servings 4
    Cup measurements

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Basmati rice
    • 3 Tomatoes
    • 1 Onion
    • 15 Garlic small cloves/ flakes
    • 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
    • ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder
    • 2 Green chillies
    • ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric
    • Salt as per taste
    • 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves

    To Temper

    • 1 tablespoon Oil
    • 1 teaspoon Ghee
    • ½ teaspoon Mustard
    • 1 teaspoon Urad dal
    • 2 teaspoon Chana dal
    • 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds or cumin seeds
    • 1 sprig Curry leaves
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Wash and soak basmati rice firstly (or any cooking rice) in hot water preferably for 10 mins.
    • After that, pressure cook rice for three whistles in medium flame with 1 & ½ cup water.
    • Once pressure is released by itself, transfer the rice to a broad vessel, add a teaspoon of ghee or sesame oil and let it cool.
    • Separate the grains gently once cooled. You can use left over rice too for this.
    • After that, heat a kadai with oil, ghee and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table.
      1 tablespoon Oil, 1 teaspoon Ghee, ½ teaspoon Mustard, 1 teaspoon Urad dal, 2 teaspoon Chana dal, 1 sprig Curry leaves, 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
    • Then add thinly sliced garlic (into circles), slit green chillies and give a fry.
    • After that, add sliced onion and fry till translucent.
    • Add chopped tomato, required salt and fry until it turns mushy.
    • After that, in goes all the powders -red chilli, garam masala, turmeric and the coriander leaves.
    • Fry furthermore until tomatoes gets in to mushy gravy for 4-5 minutes until oil separates but still it remains moist and semi gravy.
    • Finally mix this gravy with the cooked rice along with sesame oil or ghee if needed and give at-least some 10 minutes standing time.

    Video

    Notes

    • You can add finely chopped carrots and green peas also to add nutritional value
    • Cook rice with half salt and the gravy with half salt for more balanced taste.
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    InstagramMention @rakskitchen or tag #rakskitchen if you have tried this recipe.

    Step by step

    1. Wash and soak basmati rice firstly (or any cooking rice) for 10 mins, preferably in hot water.
    2. Pressure cook for three whistles in medium flame with 1 & ½ cup water.
    3. Once pressure is released by itself, transfer to a broad vessel, add a teaspoon of ghee or sesame oil and let it cool.
    4. Separate the grains gently once cooled.
    5. Heat a kadai with oil,ghee and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table.
    6. Add thinly sliced garlic (into circles), slit green chillies and give a fry. Then add sliced onion and fry till transparent.
      Tomato rice recipe step 1
    7. After that, add chopped tomato, add salt and fry until it turns mushy and add the powders-red chilli, garam masala, turmeric and the coriander leaves.
      Tomato rice recipe step 2
    8. Fry till tomatoes gets in to mushy gravy for 4-5 minutes until oil separates but still it remains moist and semi gravy.
      Tomato rice recipe step 3
    9. Now mix this gravy with the cooked rice along with sesame oil or ghee if needed and give at-least some 10 min. standing time.
      Tomato rice recipe step 4

    Serve with onion raita or korma. I made it for Aj, so he had with his favorite Broccoli stir fry...

    Tomato rice thakkali sadam-recipe
    Thakkali sadam

    More Variety Rice

    • Vangi bath recipe, Brinjal rice, Vaangi bhaat
    • Small potato biryani recipe, Baby potato biryani
    • Green gram sprouts fried rice recipe
    • Coconut milk veg biryani recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Happy cook

      November 28, 2008 at 1:00 pm

      WOW beautiful rice, love the colour and the picture

      Reply
    2. RAKS KITCHEN

      November 28, 2008 at 1:02 pm

      Thanx for that quick comment,now I don't miss Asha;D

      Reply
    3. Kajal

      November 28, 2008 at 3:11 pm

      What a nice dish of rice with nice color too and i love your rav dosa this is my favorite dish of south indian. Thanks for your comment. I don't know who is he and how he is take all my recipe and photos without knowing me. Thanks again.

      Have a cheerful day!!!
      Kajal

      Reply
    4. anudivya

      November 28, 2008 at 8:18 pm

      What a pretty color and picture! Lovely...

      Reply
    5. n33ma

      November 28, 2008 at 10:44 pm

      Beautiful color.....especially love the first pic.

      Reply
    6. Cham

      November 29, 2008 at 6:11 am

      I love the 1 rst picture, beautifully captured

      Reply
    7. jeyashrisuresh

      November 29, 2008 at 6:35 am

      Wow beautiful pic.btw what brand of basmati rice u normally use.

      Reply
    8. Nags

      November 29, 2008 at 10:52 am

      i sent a tomato rice for the mela too, recipe is slightly different though. love the first pic 🙂

      Reply
    9. Kitchen Flavours

      November 29, 2008 at 12:20 pm

      Wow this looks absolutely delish. Love the color and awesome pics.

      Reply
    10. DEESHA

      November 29, 2008 at 12:52 pm

      looks lovely .. its got a beautiful color

      Reply
    11. Priya

      November 29, 2008 at 10:24 pm

      Wow wat a lovely presentation...eyecatching colour..

      Reply
    12. Viki Xavier.

      November 30, 2008 at 1:25 am

      Lovely tomato rice. Pictures are very very cute:)

      Reply
    13. RAKS KITCHEN

      November 30, 2008 at 4:17 am

      Jeyashri,
      After trying somany brands available I am now sticking to buy DAAWAT 🙂
      Are you having a blog spot or you just comment,I can see you around in this blogsphere:)

      Reply
    14. Daily Meals

      November 30, 2008 at 4:51 am

      Looks colourful...nice recipe...

      Reply
    15. Jaishree

      November 30, 2008 at 7:16 am

      Tomato Rice looks lovely.. Pretty colour & beautiful pic..

      Reply
    16. jeyashrisuresh

      November 30, 2008 at 7:35 am

      no i dont have a blog. i m bit lazy and quite busy with my 2 kids,the younger one is little naughty.i too tried so many bands.not good,will try this.i just comment from my google account.

      Reply
    17. Kaitlin

      November 30, 2008 at 10:52 pm

      yumm im craving some starch and that looks SO good!

      Reply
    18. anu

      December 01, 2008 at 8:09 pm

      superb....yummy yummy

      Reply
    19. Srivalli

      December 04, 2008 at 4:11 am

      Raji ..the first picture looks great!

      Reply
    20. Uj

      December 04, 2008 at 12:50 pm

      looks beautiful...wellcaptured

      Reply
    21. bindiya

      December 04, 2008 at 3:54 pm

      lovely pic, must compliment you!rice looks yumm!!

      Reply
    22. delhibelle

      December 08, 2008 at 4:49 pm

      such a lovely colour, this must have been yummy

      Reply
    23. Keerthana

      December 13, 2008 at 11:16 am

      I found this recipe on Srivalli's rice mela round up. Tomato rice looks lovely, great pics too!

      Reply
    24. Sophie

      January 11, 2009 at 3:24 pm

      I've made a tomato rice dish before, but never with these unique ingredients. I be they really enhance the flavor :)! I'd like to share your recipe with our readers :). Please let me know if you're interested!

      Sophie, Key Ingredient Chief Blogger
      [email protected]

      Reply
    25. Divya Babrekar

      January 30, 2012 at 3:24 pm

      Hi Raks,

      Made this for lunch today and it was yummy!! 🙂 loved this version without coconut!thank you

      Reply
    26. Sandhya Raman

      August 31, 2012 at 7:16 pm

      One of my favourite rice variety...Nicely presented as usual.Can try adding boiled peas/corn.I tried and it tasted well.

      Reply
    27. Sandhya Raman

      August 31, 2012 at 7:16 pm

      One of my favourites...lovely presentation..
      Boiled corns/peas adds good flavour and colour.

      Reply
    28. RAKS KITCHEN

      August 31, 2012 at 7:21 pm

      Ya you are right, I do it in my tomato pulao recipe... 🙂

      Reply
    29. Ritu

      September 20, 2012 at 2:01 am

      I tried this., it looks great and its yummy. Thank you

      Reply
    30. Ritu

      September 20, 2012 at 2:01 am

      I tried it.. its yummy.. thank you

      Reply
    31. Ratna Seethala

      November 06, 2012 at 8:14 am

      Susmita

      I tried this recipe . It is so delicious. All my friends and relatives liked it too.

      Reply
    32. Sowmya D.S.L

      February 06, 2013 at 4:15 pm

      making it for lunch now 🙂 I tried many recipes from ur blog before.. it came out so well and my hubby loved it too 🙂

      Reply
    33. kayathri u

      April 03, 2013 at 3:03 am

      nice recipie....

      Reply
    34. kayathri u

      April 03, 2013 at 2:14 pm

      nice

      Reply
    35. Shaveta

      July 25, 2013 at 1:30 am

      It came out very yummy.......tried tody:)

      Reply
    36. Jyothi A

      February 17, 2014 at 1:29 pm

      Hello... you didnt mentioned when to add garlic

      Reply
    37. Raks anand

      February 17, 2014 at 1:36 pm

      Read the *2nd step*

      Reply
    38. Jyothi A

      February 19, 2014 at 9:06 am

      Thank you ji....

      Reply
    39. Prathima Domakonda

      May 31, 2014 at 2:57 am

      Looks Very Colorful.. Nice one:)

      Reply
    40. Catapult

      June 17, 2014 at 6:46 am

      Came out pretty well! Thank u 🙂
      Well maintained website with beautiful snaps of step by step making.. Rockin Rakskitchen

      Reply
    41. Renuka Ambbarees

      August 25, 2014 at 1:16 pm

      I tried this. So tasty. .done well. Thanks

      Reply
    42. Safina Mubarak

      December 14, 2014 at 1:38 pm

      Fr a non veg cookers lik me tomato s lik oddone out ..nvr had dis rice in past 20yrs r none in my hme evn thnk f dng ... Bt jus wantd to tryout fr my hubby's lunch pak... It realy gav me gud hopedat my hubby ll lov it...thanx fr all de receips raks..bcoz f u m dng grt in kitchen.(everyonethnks its all my hand receipe)..;))n m maintainin de secret)lolzz ;))... Thanks raks

      Reply
    43. Unknown

      October 01, 2015 at 8:21 am

      Hi raks if u add 2 tsp of fenugreek seeds to this recipe it would give nice flavour

      Reply
    44. Vijayakumar Shanmugam

      November 24, 2015 at 8:23 am

      I tried in ponni rice only excellent result
      thanks

      Reply
    45. Anders Svensson

      February 17, 2016 at 9:50 am

      I have made a tomato rice dish before, but never with these unique ingredients. I would like to share this recipe with our friends. Thanks for sharing great recipe.

      Reply
    46. AMRITA P

      May 04, 2016 at 1:20 pm

      It was lovely.... I tried n come out well... Thank you mam

      Reply
    47. Sri Amudha S

      October 13, 2016 at 6:22 am

      What a beautiful dish!!! I did it for the first time. Turned out yum! Thank you so much! I have become a fan of your's!

      Reply
    48. Anonymous

      April 20, 2017 at 1:38 am

      Hi Rajeswari, thanks for the beautiful recipe! I'm curious, do the urad dal and chana dal get cooked in the liquid of the tomatoes, or should they be cooked prior to adding? Thanks!

      Reply

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    Raks anand

    Hi, I'm Rajeswari Vijayanand! I am the person behind Rakskitchen, sharing recipes with pictures & videos.

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    Raks anand

    Hi, I'm Rajeswari Vijayanand! I am the person behind Rakskitchen, sharing recipes with pictures & videos.

    More about me →

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