Tomato Biryani / Tomato Rice - Biryani Style /

    This is my Mom's version. I love this simple Biryani style Tomato rice n she often make this during Sundays of Purattasi(Tamil Month) because in that month we don't eat Non-vegetarian n eggs too. So Sundays Biryani will be this flavor rich n spicy tomato rice. This tomato rice tastes excellent with seeraga samba rice. But You can cook with basmati or sona masoori or any regular cooking rice. Good idea for any party or any special occasion and also easy, simple, flavorful and tastes great. The recipe as follows...

Ingredients

1. Rice   1/2 kg or 2 cup(wash and soak it in water)
2. Tomato   4-5 large (chopped)
3. Onion    1 large(sliced )
4. Green chilli   6-7(slit open)
5. Mint leaves   1/2 cup
6. Yoghurt/curd      1 and 1/2 tbsp
7. Fennel seeds   1/2 tsp
8. Bay leaf     2-3 
9. Clove    5-6 no.
10. Maratti Mokku  2 or 3 no.
11. Cardamom    4 no.
12. Cinnamon     2" stick 2no.s
13. Salt   as needed
14. Oil    5-6 tbsp

To grind

1. small onions    4no.s
2.    or
3. onion    few chopped pieces
4. Ginger     2" large piece
5. Garlic     10-12 cloves

generally for ginger-garlic paste garlic should little more than the ginger.Grind the ingredients to a smooth paste and keep aside.

Method

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add fennel, clove, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf and allow to splutter.
• Then add onions,green chillies and mint leaves, sprinkle some salt.
• Saute onion till it get half transparent and add ginger,garlic onion paste.
• Fry till raw smell leaves,fry in medium flame.
• Then add the chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder, stir well.
• Saute the tomatoes until it get soft and mushy.
• Then add yogurt and stir well.
• Once the tomato masla starts leaving oil add enough water(to cook rice) and salt ,mix well.
• Allow the gravy to boil, when starts boiling add drained rice and few chopped cilantro(coriander leaves).
• close the pot and cook till the rice and gravy starts to boil.
• When its starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium and close the lid tightly and cook for 12 minutes.
• Once done, open the lid and transfer the cooked Tomato rice to a hot Box or any other vessel.
• Serve tomato rice with egg n raitha or any veg curry n Masala Egg Pepper Fry.

Note:
rice and tomato should be in equal quantity..use riped tomato.If u feel the tomato to be more sour then reduce the quantity.
If u want you can also add 1/4 cup fresh or frozen peas or soya chunks before adding yogurt.
If u don't have pressure cooker, simple saute onion tomatoes in a skillet n transfer everything to Electric rice cooker, add water n cook until done.