Tomato Rice Recipe (South Indian Thakkali Sadam)

Name: Tomato Rice Recipe (South Indian Thakkali Sadam)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Asian, Indian
Ingredients: 1 heaped cup basmati rice (or any regular rice); water (- as required); 1 cup or 3 medium (200 grams) tomatoes (- finely chopped & tightly packed); ⅓ cup or 1 medium-sized onions (- finely chopped); 1.5 teaspoons ginger garlic paste (or 1 inch ginger + 5 to 6 small to medium garlic crushed in mortar-pestle); ½ teaspoon green chilli (- chopped or swap with serrano pepper); ½ teaspoon mustard seeds; 4 to 5 fenugreek seeds ((methi seeds) - optional); ½ inch true cinnamon; 2 green cardamoms; 2 to 3 cloves; 6 to 7 curry leaves ((medium-sized)); ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder; ½ teaspoon red chilli powder; ½ teaspoon black pepper powder (or crushed black pepper); ½ teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander)); 1 teaspoon cumin powder ((ground cumin)); ½ tablespoon mint leaves (- chopped); ¼ cup coriander leaves (- chopped (cilantro)); 1.5 to 1.75 cups water (or add as required); 2 tablespoons oil (- any neutral oil ); salt ( as required)

Instructions

Prep:20minCook:20min

Tomato Rice is a flavorful rice dish from the Tamil Nadu state of South India. Also known as Thakkali Sadam, it is made with rice sautéed in a spiced tomato masala, tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, herbs and aromatic spices. Tangy, mildly spicy and comforting, this one-pot meal is a popular choice for lunchboxes and quick meals, best enjoyed with raita or papad.

Updated at: Thu, 25 Dec 2025 02:53:42 GMT