Tomato Bhaat (Tomato Rice)

Today's recipe dates  back to our Bangalore days.  I got introduced to this lovely rice preparation only after we came to Bangalore.  Then Bangalore, now Bengaluru.  The rice options there are so yum.  Like lemon rice, Bisibele bhaat, puliyogare.  Wow all that is making me drool already.  No matter how much I try I always feel I dont get the taste like they make it the restaurants or darshini's there.  Nonethelesss, I have tried to make my best and it tastes more or less like we have eaten at a few places.  So without further delay here goes my version of tomato rice.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

 INGREDIENTS:

Rice	1/2 cup
Tomatoes (roughly cut)	2 medium
Onions (long thin slices)	2 medium
Coconut	3 tbsp (grated)
Cloves	3 nos
Cinnamon	1  small stick
Cardamom (green)	2 nos
Stone flower (dagad phool)	3 nos
Star anise	1 small
Red chilli powder	1 tsp
Salt	1 tsp
Oil	1 tsp
Ghee	1 tbsp
Cashew-nuts	10 nos
Curry leaves	A few

METHOD:

1.        Wash the rice and keep it aside.

2.        Grind together tomatoes, coconut, cloves, cinnamon, stone flower and star anise to a fine paste with very little water.  Measure the ground tomato masala, you should get about two cups.  If not add water to make it two cups.

3.        Place a pressure cooker on the gas stove on low heat and add a tsp of oil and half a tbsp of ghee and add the sliced onions.  Sauté it for a minute and add the cardamoms (slightly open it and put them in)

4.        Once the onions are translucent add the rice and sauté it on medium flame for a minute. 

5.         Add this to the rice along with red chilli powder.  Add salt.  Adjust the salt according to your preference.

6.        Close the lid and pressure cook it for two whistles on high flame.  Lower the heat and let it cook for 2 minutes more.  Switch off the gas.

7.        Once the pressure goes.  Fluff up the rice very lightly and transfer the rice in a serving bowl.

8.        In a pan put the remaining ghee and sauté the cashews to a light golden brown.  Add curry leaves and pour over the rice.  Serve hot along with pappadams and raita.