Tomato biryani recipe with step by step photos – one pot spiced South Indian style delicious tomato biryani. Gluten-free and vegan.
Unlike the regular Veg dum biryani, this tomato biryani recipe is not layered and dum cooked. the entire recipe is made in a thick-bottomed pot or pan. Covered with a tight-fitting lid and slow-cooked. If in a hurry, you can use a pressure cooker to make the same recipe. The recipe is loosely adapted from both my Tomato pulao and Tomato bath.
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In this tomato biryani recipe thick coconut milk is added to balance the tang of the tomatoes. Thus the biryani has a light taste of tomatoes and not overpowering. Coconut milk makes the rice taste good and rich, but if you do not have coconut milk, then just skip it and add water. You can also use vegetable stock instead of water. Mixed veggies like peas, carrots, corn, baby corn, cauliflower, etc can be added to the biryani or you can keep it plain.
In fact, This tomato biryani makes for a good tiffin box lunch too. pair with a pickle or a veggie salad in the tiffin box. If serving for lunch or dinner, then you can pair with a raita or pickle or a salad.
How to make tomato biryani
1. Rinse a couple of times and soak 1 cup seeraga samba rice in water for 30 minutes. You can even use basmati rice or sona masuri rice. After 30 minutes, drain the rice of all the water and keep aside.
2. Rinse and chop the tomatoes. Add them in a blender or grinder jar.
3. Blend to a smooth puree. If you do not have a blender or grinder, then you can even mince or grate the tomatoes.
4. These are the spices that we will be adding in the tomato biryani. Skip stone flower if you do not have it. Remove and keep the below mentioned whole spices aside.
- 1.5 inches cinnamon
- 3 green cardamoms
- 3 cloves
- 1 small to medium sized tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- A small tiny piece of stone flower
- 2 single strands of mace
Making tomato biryani
5. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a thick-bottomed pot or pan. Please do use a thick bottomed pan, otherwise, there are chances that the rice can get browned or burnt from the bottom. Add all the whole spices and saute them till they crackle and turn fragrant.
6. now add ¼ cup sliced onions.
7. Saute onions till they begin to get golden.
8. Add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste. Mix well.
9. Then add 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves, 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves and 1 green chili (chopped). mix well.
10. add the tomato puree. If using store brought tomato puree, then add ½ cup tomato puree. Mix again.
11. Now add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder and ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder.
12. Mix the masalas very well with the mixture of tomato puree and other ingredients.
13. Stir and saute for 2 minutes.
14. Now add ¾ to 1 cup of chopped veggies. I used green peas and potatoes. Mix again.
15. Add rice.
16. Mix the rice with the rest of the tomato masala gravy.
Cooking tomato biryani
17. Add 1.5 cups of water. For a softer texture in the rice, you can add ¼ cup more of the water.
18. Then add ½ cup thick coconut milk and salt as per taste. If skipping coconut milk, then overall add 1.75 to 2 cups depending on the quality of rice. You can also use veg stock instead of water.
19. Mix very well. Check the taste of the water and it should be slightly salty. If not, then add a bit more salt.
20. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook tomato biryani on a slow flame for 18 to 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed. Time will vary depending on the size of the pan, thickness of pan and flame intensity. You can check the rice grains once or twice while cooking.
21. Once done, remove the lid. Then gently fluff the rice. In the pic below what you see is a moist sticky consistency in the rice. This stickiness is due to the coconut milk settling on the top. Once you fluff the rice, the stickiness gets distributed throughout the whole biryani.
22. Serve tomato biryani hot with some pickle or raita or your choice.
Few more similar recipes you may like are
- Tomato rice – spicy and tasty South Indian style tomato rice.
- Biryani – Hyderabadi style veg dum biryani.
- Pudina rice – spicy and tasty one pot fragrant mint rice.
- Mushroom biryani – spicy and tasty vegetarian version of Chettinad biryani made with mushrooms.
- Paneer biryani – this is a mildly spiced and delicious dum cooked paneer biryani.
Tomato Biryani
INGREDIENTS
main ingredients
- 1 cup seeraga samba rice, 200 grams (can use basmati rice instead)
- 150 grams tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes or 1 cup chopped tomatoes or ½ cup tomato puree
- 2 tablespoon oil (sesame oil, peanut oil or sunflower oil)
- 35 grams onions or 1 small onion or ¼ cup thinly sliced onions
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 green chili, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 inch medium potato chopped in small cubes
- ⅓ cup green peas , fresh or frozen
- ½ cup thick coconut milk
- 1.5 cups water or add as required
- salt as required
whole spices
- 1.5 inches cinnamon
- 3 green cardamoms
- 3 cloves
- 1 small to medium sized tej patta
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- a small tiny piece of stone flower (pathar phool, dagad phool), optional
- 2 single strands of mace
INSTRUCTIONS
preparation
- Rinse a couple of times and then soak 1 cup seeraga samba rice in water for 30 minutes. You can even use basmati rice or sona masuri rice.
- After 30 minutes, drain the rice of all the water and keep aside.
- Meanwhile, rinse and chop the tomatoes. Add them in a blender or grinder jar.
- Blend to a smooth puree. If you do not have a blender or grinder, then you can even mince or grate the tomatoes.
- Remove and keep the whole spices aside.
- Slice one small onion thinly and keep aside. Also chop one green chili.
making tomato biryani
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a thick bottomed pot or pan. Please do Use a thick bottomed pan, otherwise there are chances that the rice can get browned or burnt from the bottom.
- Add all the whole spices and saute them till they crackle and turn fragrant.
- Now add 1/4 cup sliced onions. Saute onions till they begin to get golden.
- Add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste. Mix well.
- Then add 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves, 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves and 1 green chili (chopped). Mix well.
- Add the tomato puree. If using ready tomato puree, then add 1/2 cup tomato puree. Mix again.
- Now add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder.
- Mix the masalas very well with the mixture of tomato puree and other ingredients.
- Stir and saute for 2 minutes.
- Now add 3/4 to 1 cup of chopped veggies. I used green peas and potatoes. Mix again.
- Add rice. Mix the rice with the rest of the tomato masala gravy.
- Add 1.5 cups water. then add 1/2 cup thick coconut milk and salt as per taste. Mix very well.
- Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook the biryani on a slow flame for 18 to 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed.
- Once done, remove the lid. Then gently fluff the rice.
- Serve tomato biryani hot with some pickle or raita of your choice.
NOTES
- If you do not have coconut milk, then just skip it and add water.
super very easy to cook
thanks vivek
Coconut but milk is necessary to add
it helps to balance the acidity and tang of the tomatoes and give a good taste. you can also skip, but there will be some loss in the overall flavor profile of the tomato biryani recipe. alternatively you can grind 1/4 cup fresh coconut or desiccated coconut with the tomatoes.
ohh, yeah i got it, thank you mam…..
🙂
Hi, Mam please can you tell me that how to make thick coconut milk ???
sandeepta, the method given on this link – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/how-to-make-coconut-milk/
the first extract is the thick coconut milk.
Replacement for coconut milk?
add water or veg stock.
Wow … So delicious. .. I’m in Florida US. .. very few Indian restaurants n not worthy. . but now we are cooking restaurants style dishes at home.. Thanks
welcome ami and thank you for your kind words 🙂
good food good chef
thank you anand 🙂
I simply love the idea of adding coconut milk into a biryani. I’m gonna try it out very soon. Thank you so much 🙂
welcome manasi surely try and let us know how it was? thank you