Tomato Rice (Pulav)

One day I told my husband to bring some tomatoes on his way from office and he bought a whole carton of them. As usual he never buys things in small quantities. He always thinks “big “.That was the day I made my first Tomato Pulav which I learned from one of my husband’s colleagues .Since the years went by the recipe kept evolving and developing and here is my personal twist on this.

 Tomato Rice (Pulav):

Method:
•         Rice: 2 cups
•         Tomatoes (medium size):4
•         Garlic (crushed): 3-4 cloves
•         Pepper corns: 7-8
•         Cardamom: 2-3
•         Bay leaves: 3
•         Cinnamon (2 inch): 2
•         Cloves: 5
•         Coconut Milk (thick): 1 cup
•         Salt as required
•         Oil: 1 tbsp.
•         Cashew nuts and raisins for garnishing

Ingredients:
•         Blanch the tomatoes remove the skin and make puree out of it.
•         Wash and keep the rice aside
•         In a pressure cooker heat the oil, add the crushed garlic. Then add the whole spices (cardamom, Bay leaves, Cinnamons, Cloves and pepper corns).
•         When the smell of the masala comes out add the rice (washed and drained).
•         Stir it gently for a couple of minutes.
•         Now add salt and  the tomato puree and coconut milk (the coconut milk and the tomato puree together should be four cups i.e. double the amount of rice.)
•         Cover the lid and simmer it till all the water evaporates (do not put the weight of the cooker)
•         Switch off the gas wait for 5 min.
•         Take it out in a serving plate and garnish with fried cashews and raisins (fried in ghee).

Note: Add Luke warm water to the tomato puree and coconut mixture to make it into four cups in case your pure and coconut milk together doesn’t add up to four cups.
When rice is added make sure to stir gently so that the rice doesn't break.