A South Indian tomato rice recipe called Thakkali sadam is a side dish made with tomatoes and (leftover) rice. Do try this vegan fried rice recipe today!
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What is Thakkali Sadam
Thakkali means tomato and sadam means rice in Tamil. I am delighted to be sharing this family favorite recipe with you today. I have had this as a child and relished it every time my dad made it. This is a South Indian-style tomato rice recipe that's packed with flavors. Tomatoes give this rice a tangy flavor that makes it unique and delicious.
This vegan dish can also be called Tomato Pulav or Tomato Fried Rice. If you are looking for a simple home-cooked vegetarian or vegan meal, then you must make this dish.
It's my dad's recipe
I was fortunate to grow up in a household where my parents shared responsibilities and roles were not defined by gender. This including cooking. Mom had her set of recipes that we loved and Dad had his set of recipes that he would make for us. My brother and I enjoyed both their cooking as it was very different. Some signature dishes that dad made were Tomato Omelet, Thakkali Sadam, French Toast, Beans Poriyal, and Garlic Rasam.
Why make it
- It's naturally vegan and can be made gluten-free by skipping asafoetida
- Needs basic pantry essentials
- It's a leftover rice recipe
- Is a one-pot meal
- It's a delicious flavored rice recipe
Ingredients needed 🧾
Rice - There are many ways to make tomato rice. You can either use leftover rice, cook rice fresh or cook the rice with all the other ingredients together.
Regarding the variety of rice, Basmati rice works great here. It helps if the grains are long and separate. However, you can use any variety of rice or brown rice.
Tomatoes - After rice, they are the main ingredients in this rice recipe. They should be juicy, ripe, firm, but not too firm, some give is good.
They should not have any blemishes or dark spots. You can also use cherry red tomatoes, canned tomatoes, or tomato puree.
Other veggies - Onions, and green peas are used in this recipe. Feel free to add more veggies of your choice.
Herbs and spices - mustard seeds, ginger, green chilies, paprika, asafoetida, turmeric powder, cilantro, and curry leaves.
Lentils and nuts - urad dal, chana dal, and cashews are needed. They add a nice crunch to the rice dish. You can also add peanuts.
How to make it 🔪
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You need to cook the rice ahead of time and cool it down completely. Leftover rice can also be used in this tomato rice recipe.
- Heat oil or vegan ghee in a pan and temper mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add asafoetida, chana dal, urad dal and cashews. Fry till the lentils and cashews turn light golden.
- Then add the minced green chillies, grated ginger, and curry leaves. Also add half the cilantro and chopped onions. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
- Now add the tomatoes, green peas and salt. Mix and continue to cook till the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy.
- Then add turmeric powder, paprika, and salt. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Then add the cooked rice. Mix it all together and cook for a minute or two. Adjust salt as needed.
- Lastly garnish it with the remaining cilantro. Mix and take it off the flame. Do not over mix and break the grains.
Serving suggestions 🍽
Serve tomato rice warm along with some raita or plain yogurt along with some roasted papad or potato chips. Some even like to sprinkle some sev on top. We also serve this Indian vegan fried rice with Potato curry. This combo tastes amazing. Follow it with Curd Rice to finish your meal.
Tomato rice can be packed in lunch boxes, served for breakfast, or as an evening snack. It can also be served as a side dish for brunch or as a weekend meal.
Top recipe tips 💭
If allergic to nuts, skip adding peanuts and add sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead. Garnish with mint leaves. It will give the rice an extra aroma. Mix in some cooked lentils to make the dish more hearty and nourishing. Garnish with grated or chopped raw mango for a tangy flavor. If looking for low-carb options, swap rice with alternate grains like quinoa or cauliflower rice. Feel free to add more veggies and greens like carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, baby kale, beet leaves, etc. Leftover rice works great for this recipe. If cooking rice fresh, cook it ahead of time and cool it down completely. Any variety of rice can be used. Brown rice can also be used.
Recipe FAQs 📖
You can totally make this rice dish in the Instant Pot. Rinse and soak rice for 15 minutes prior to cooking. Then in sauté mode, add all the ingredients and follow the steps till 4.
Add the soaked rice and cook it in rice mode for 4 minutes (similar to Jeera Rice). Release pressure manually and then fluff the rice with a fork.
Leftover Indian vegan fried rice can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. It also freezes well.
More rice recipes
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Recipe 📖
Tomato Rice Recipe | Thakkali Sadam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked Basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon vegan ghee or any vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon GF asafoetida
- 1 tablespoon chana dal
- 1 tablespoon urad dal
- 4-5 curry leaves
- 2 tablespoon peanuts or cashews
- 2 green chillies
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 4 medium-sized tomatoes
- ⅓ cup frozen green peas
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon chilly powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon sambhar powder optional
- ⅓ cup cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the rice ahead of time and cool it down completely. Leftover rice can also be used in this Tomato Rice recipe.
- Soak chana dal in water for 5 minutes before you start making the Tomato Rice. This will soften up the lentils and make it easy to chew when eating.
- Add roughly chopped tomatoes and green chillies to a blender jar.
- Make a smooth puree. Do not add any water while grinding the tomatoes.
- Heat vegan ghee in a pan and temper mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, GF asafoetida, soaked chana dal, urad dal and peanuts. Fry till the lentils and peanuts turn light golden.
- Then add the grated ginger, and curry leaves.
- Also add half the cilantro and chopped onions. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
- Now add the tomatoes puree and salt. Continue to cook till the tomatoes are cooked and the water has evaporated. This can take 12-15 minutes. Keep the flame on medium. This is an important step. The water has to evaporate else the Thakkali Sadam will turn mushy after adding the cooked rice.
- Add the green peas. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Then add sambhar powder (if adding), turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Then add the cooked rice. Mix till all the tomato masala coats all the rice. Adjust salt as needed. Cook this for 1-2 minutes. Do not over mix and break the grains.
- Lastly garnish it with the remaining cilantro. Mix and take it off the flame.
- Serve with papad, Indian pickle or raita.
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Video
Notes
Nutrition
Lalitha says
Can we skip onion in this recipe.
Thanks
Priya says
yes you can.
Laura says
Can you clarify whether or not the chana dal and the urad dal need to be precooked? I have dried beans and I’m thinking that frying them won’t cook them. Thank you!
Priya says
Chana dal and urad need not be cooked before. Just saute them in oil. If you want you can just soak chana dal in water for 15 mins and then use. But urad dal can be added uncooked. Also, these are not beans, they are lentils. Just clarifying so that there is no confusion. Hope this was helpful.