Spicy Tomato Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Rice or 6-8 cups Cooked Rice
• 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
• ¾-1 cup Green Peas
• 1-2 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 3-5 large Tomatoes, finely chopped
• 3-4 Green Chillies, finely chopped
• 1 inch cube Ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
• 2-3 tbsp Mint Leaves, finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
• 3 Cloves
• ½-1 tsp Garam Masala
• ½-1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder

Tempering:

• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 tbsp Channa Dal
• 1 tbsp Urad Dal
• 1-2 Dry Red Chillies, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1-2 springs of Curry Leaves
• ¼ tsp Hing
• 2-3 tbsp Cashew Nuts
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Cook rice in the method that is best suited for you.
• While rice is getting cooked, Take a large pan and add ghee to it. Add the broken cashew nuts and fry them on medium flame till they turn golden brown. Drain and keep them aside till needed.
• In a same pan add oil and heat it on medium flame. Add mustard seeds, once mustard seeds start to pop and splutter, add channa dal, urad dal, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves and broken red chillies. Sauté for a minute or two till lentils turn golden brown in colour.
• Next add hing and curry leaves and sauté for few seconds. Add in chopped onions, green chillies and ginger until onions turn translucent.
• Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder and give it a good stir. Cook these tomatoes for about 5-7 minutes, on medium flame.
• Mix in tomato paste, green peas, garam masala and salt to taste. Simmer and let it cook for another 3-5 minutes.
• Turn off the gas and mix in cooled rice, finely chopped mint leaves and fried cashews and mix them well so that each rice grain is coated with spicy tomato base and every grain is heated through.
• Enjoy with curd or raita.