If you love the fusion of spice and slightly tangy flavours, then TOMATO RICE is the perfect dish to indulge in. A healthy rice recipe, tomato rice is a simple dish made with a plethora of spices and tomatoes. It is not a traditional dish hence each home or region has their own version of it.
Just one serving a day of tomato-based food gives a great effect on our health. Tomatoes provide the body with a tremendous amount of natural vitamins and minerals.
Tomatoes even play important roles for us in different stages of our lives.
Trying to conceive
Tomato has a high content of lycopene. Lycopene has been found to increase sperm count by about 70 percents. It also improves sperm motility and reduces the number of abnormal sperms.
Pregnancy
Tomato is considered one of the healthiest food for pregnant women thanks to its high content of folic acid. Folic acid can help prevent birth defect in babies. Tomato is also rich in dietary fibre which helps prevent constipation during pregnancy. The high content of vitamin A in tomatoes is also good for the eye development of the fetus.
Confinement and Breastfeeding
Tomato is considered one of the healthiest food for new mothers. Rich in iron, tomatoes can help in blood formation. This is extremely beneficial for new mothers who lost blood during birth delivery as well as nursing mothers.
The high content of Vitamin C in tomatoes helps to boost the immune system of both breastfeeding mother and her newborn baby. Vitamin A in tomatoes is also important for the eye development of the newborn.
Tomatoes are also good for skin and keep the skin healthy. However, some babies may experience colic or become irritated when a breastfeeding mother eats tomato. It is therefore important for a breastfeeding mother to observe the baby’s reaction to this food. I personally ate a lot of tomatoes during my pregnancy as well as breastfeeding my children with no colic nor irritation matter on my babies’ part.
TOMATO RICE RECIPE
Tomato rice just like biryani rice is drool-worthy. It appeals to everyone, young and old. Today, I am sharing the Malaysian version of tomato rice which is easy to prepare and fit for every banquet table.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: Depending on your rice cooker
Serving size: 6 pax
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoon ghee
2 tablespoon oil
2 pandan leaves
4 shallots
4 garlic
1 inch garlic
4 spices – Cinnamon, Star Anise, Cardamom and Cloves
1 tomato
1 lemongrass
4 cups basmathi rice
1 cup evaporated milk
5 tablespoon tomato puree
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
METHOD:
- Rinse the rice with water.
- Strain the rice to remove excess water.
- I used basmathi rice for this. Basmathi rice has longer grain than ordinary rice hence it is the preferred choice for biryani as well as tomato rice.
- Heat ghee and oil in a pan. This will give you an extraordinary flavour.
- Add shallot, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and pandan leaf. You will start to smell the aroma rising from the pan at this point.
- Add 4 spices – Cinnamon, Star Anise, Cardamom and Cloves. These four spices will release incredibly aromatic essential oil when heated giving the tomato rice its amazing aroma.
- Add cubed tomatoes. These fresh tomato chunks add to the aesthetic appeal to the rice.
- Add basmathi rice and tomato puree.
- Add some tomato puree in addition to the fresh tomatoes. The tomato puree will improve the flavour and more importantly, gives a tinge of red colour to the rice.
- Add raisins and evaporated milk. You may opt to use only water but evaporated milk gives a richer flavour to the rice.
- Stir and add sufficient water to cook the rice.
- Season with salt and sugar to taste.
- Cook as usual cooking rice method.
- Fluff rice before serving.
Fit for every banquet table, this is a quick and easy Malaysian favourite even busy mothers can easily dish out. Here’s the tutorial video to show you how easy it is to prepare this delicious tomato rice:
