Tomato Pulao | Tomato Pilaf
Tomato pulao is a one pot delicious tangy spicy pilaf made with rice, tomatoes, mix veggies, herbs and spices. This is an easy and tasty tomato pilaf made in a stovetop pressure cooker and can be easily made in a pan or Instant pot. You can make this recipe without the mixed veggies and it will still taste good.
I make this tomato pulao on occasions when I want to make a hearty tomato based rice dish with mix vegetables.
Tomato pulao as the name suggests has more tomatoes added to it and is a hero ingredient in this dish. Thus there is a nice tangy tasty that you get in the dish. I make this pulao in a similar way, I make the South Indian Mushroom Biryani.
To make the pulao more nutritious, I have also added some mixed veggies together with the tomatoes.
I do add veggies when I want to use all the leftover veggies from the fridge. But you can also make this tomato pulao minus the mixed veggies. This is a slightly spicy version. Do reduce the green chilies, black pepper and red chili powder for a lightly spiced taste.
Vegetable pulao is one of those dishes which help me in making quick meals when I have less time on hand. All I have to do is to make the Pulao and then pair it with raita, yogurt or a quick veggie salad.
Tomato is one of my favorite ingredients to be added to recipes. I include it in most of the dishes that I make. If you like tomatoes then do check the following recipes:
Serve tomato pulao hot or warm garnished with coriander leaves. Accompany plain yogurt, raita or a veggie salad by the side.
How to make Tomato Pulao
Preparation
1. Rinse 1 cup of rice very well in water and then soak the grains in water for 20 to 30 minutes. You can use basmati rice or any regular rice for the pulao. I used the Indian variety of surti kolam rice.
2. After 20 to 30 minutes drain the water from the rice and keep them aside.
3. When the rice is soaking, prep the veggies and keep them aside. Also crush (½ inch ginger + 3 to 4 garlic cloves + 1 to 2 green chilies) to a semi fine paste in a mortar-pestle. You can also use a small chutney grinder to make this paste.
Making tomato pilaf
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of any neutral flavored oil or ghee in a 2 litre stovetop pressure cooker. Add the following whole spices and fry them for a few seconds till they become fragrant.
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 small star anise
- 1 tejpatta or Indian bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
You can also add about 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds and 8 to 10 curry leaves while frying the whole garam masala.
5. Then add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions.
6. Stir and saute the onions stirring often till they become light golden on low to medium low heat.
7. Add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chili paste along with 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves and 1 teaspoon of chopped mint leaves.
8. Stir and saute for some seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic goes away.
9. Then add ¾ cup tightly packed finely chopped tomatoes.
10. Stir and saute stirring often till the tomatoes become pulpy and soften.
11. Now add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chili powder and ¼ teaspoon black pepper or crushed black pepper. Stir and mix again.
12. Add the veggies – about ¾ to 1 cup chopped mix vegetables. You can add vegetables like peas, snow peas, carrots, french beans, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli and mushrooms. The addition of veggies is also optional.
13. Stir and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
14. Then add the rice. Stir and saute for a minute.
Cooking Tomato Pulao
15. Pour 1.75 cups water. You can also make this pulao in a pot or pan. Just add 2 to 2.5 cups of water if making tomato pulao in a pan.
16. Season with salt as required. Stir and mix very well. Pressure cook pulao on medium heat for about 10 to 12 minutes or for 2 to 3 whistles.
17. Let the pressure settle down on its own. Then only remove the rid and gently fluff the rice.
18. Serve Tomato Pilaf garnished with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves. Accompany plain yogurt, raita or a veggie salad by the side.
This pulao taste best when eaten freshly cooked hot or warm.
More delicious rice recipes
- Biryani – an authentic dum cooked vegetable biryani.
- Capsicum rice – easy, quick and delicious one-pot capsicum pulao.
- Peas pulao – aromatic and tasty green peas pulao.
- Pudina rice – spicy and tasty one-pot fragrant mint rice.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice or regular rice
- 2 large tomatoes or 150 grams tomatoes or ¾ cup finely chopped tightly packed tomatoes
- 1 medium onion or 1/3 cup finely chopped onions
- ½ inch ginger + 3 to 4 garlic + 1 to 2 green chilies – crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle or a small grinder, about ½ tablespoon ginger+garlic+green chili paste
- ¾ to 1 cup chopped mix vegetables likes carrots, beans, peas, cauliflower, mushrooms and potatoes
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder or cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder or crushed black pepper
- 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves
- 1.75 cups water
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves for garnish
- salt as required
Whole spices
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 small star anise (chakriphool)
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse rice very well in water and then soak the grains in water for 20 to 30 minutes. You can use basmati rice or any regular rice for the pulao. I used Indian variety of surti kolam rice.
- After 20 to 30 minutes drain the water from the rice and keep aside.
- When the rice is soaking, prep the veggies and keep aside.
- Also crush (ginger + garlic + green chilies) to a semi fine paste in a mortar-pestle. You can also use a small chutney grinder to make this paste.
Making tomato pulao
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
- Add the whole spices and fry them for a few seconds till they become fragrant – cinnamon, cloves, green cardamoms, small star anise, tej patta (Indian bay leaf) and cumin seeds.
- Then add finely chopped onions.
- Stir and saute the onions stirring often till light golden.
- Add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chili paste along with coriander leaves and mint leaves.
- Stir and saute for some seconds or till raw aroma of the ginger and garlic goes away.
- Then add finely chopped tomatoes.
- Stir and saute till the tomatoes become pulpy and soften.
- Now add turmeric powder, red chili powder and black pepper or crushed black pepper. Stir and mix again.
- Add the mix vegetables. Stir and saute for 1 to 2 minute. The addition of veggies is optional. Even without the veggies the pulao taste good.
- Then add the rice. Stir and saute for a minute.
- Add the water.
- Season with salt as required. Stir very well. Pressure cook tomato pulao on medium heat for about 10 to 12 minutes or for 2 to 3 whistles.
- Let the pressure settle down on its own. Then only remove the rid and gently fluff the rice.
- Serve tomato pulao hot or warm garnished with coriander leaves. Accompany plain yogurt, raita or a veggie salad by the side.
Nutrition
This Tomato Pulao post from the archives (April 2015) has been republished and updated on 27 September 2021.
hellooo
This blog is really Amazing
Beautiful Description of Recepies
( specially how you have given photos for every step )
i have tried pudina pulao recently and it turned out super tasty
thank you soo much
Best wishes to you
thanks a lot krity. nice to read your comment. best wishes to you too.
Prepared this for my husbands lunch box. As he shared with his collegues, they complimented this dish as more tasty than Paradise hotels biryani. Thank you. Will keep trying your other delicious dishes too.
Welcome Teju. Glad to know that everyone liked it. Yes do try some more recipes.
I prepare this very often. It comes out very well each time. Thanks for the recipe
thanks vini for this feedback and nice to know. happy cooking.
No doubt loved a lottt yesterday night… All Your recipes turns out so wonderful in the very first attempt whether its pulao, curry, dal, sweets.. Your recipes encourage me to try more everyday which keeps me engaged at home.. I respect You a lot for all the efforts You take for Your readers and share Your lovely recipes which makes us proud in our family.. God bless You and Your family 🙂 I had commented on greek yoghurt shrikhand post but can’t find there 🙁
thank you very much nehal. we did not get any comment from you. in fact this is the first comment we received from you.
Tried this pulao recipe several times. It’s a SUPER-DUPER HIT. Everyone at our home loved it. Infact our neighbours’ became fan of it. With detailed explaination along with the pictures, makes your recipes easy and simpler to prepare for anypne. Thank you so much for sharing such a tasty recipe.
pleased to know this thankyou so much for your kind and positive words meghana 🙂
Heavenly
thanks riya 🙂
Hi, Dassana,
Tried out this recipe based only on your post(since I am a newcomer to cooking) and it turned out very well – thanks to your detailed explanations and nice photographs. I was able to improvise the second time.Am not very good at the right proportions and quantities.
Tell me if one can make variations to the quantities of the ingredients.For example if I want a more spicy palao can i add more garlics and chillies to make the paste.
Venkatesh
Thanks. You can easily make many variations in the recipe. For a spicy pulao, you can increase red chili powder or add more green chilies along with a little more of ginger and garlic. Say 3 to 4 green chilies with 1 inch ginger and 6 to 7 garlic. But will be very spicy.
This website is really awesome
And the recipes come out well
thanks shweta
your style n instructions are clear n gives a best outcome thanks
welcome barkavi
I love your website. Thanks for the recipe.
welcome anuja
Delicious healthy eats
thanks dom
I am so glad that I found your website because Indian food is becoming my favorite besides Italian so healthy and flavorful.Please send me updates with any new recipes.
Thank you
welcome dom. i have added your email in feedburner subscription list.
many thanks for giving very good ideas.
welcome sowmya
what happens if the water in the rice exceeds???
chandni, the pulao will become mushy.
I use a pressure cooker, though an American style. I never understand what “two whistles” or more mean, since my pressure cooker just has a constant hissing when processing. Can you interpret how to use for an American pressure cooker, please? What does that mean in terms of time, after the pressure is adequate? Thanks!
Or can I just cook the rice in a regular pot for so many minutes? Is there a benefit to cooking in the pressure cooker? Never have used a pressure cooker before when cooking rice.
babs, in pot it will take more time. pressure cooker is quick. pressure cooker saves time, gas and preserves the nutrients.
welcome babs, just cook for 10-12 minutes right from the beginning on a medium flame.
The tomato pulao made a super dinner dish. So very simple to make, had the most soothing and fragrant aroma as always with so many of your dishes and was a treat both visually and taste-wise. People lost their night’s sleep “complaining” that the dish was so very refreshing. Thank you as always for presenting us with such brilliant recipes and helping us get accolades.
welcome hemanth. glad to know that you got praises from your friends. they are right as you are a very good home chef. thanks again for sharing positive review on recipes.
This site is very useful 4starters
thanks prema for your positive words.
so good recipes !