Thakkali Saadam / Tomato Rice

This is a simple and delicious dish which is easy to prepare. The dashing red colour rice just invigourates the tastebuds. When the aroma of masala is mixed to it, wah..Yummy!
Delving into the history of this dish, I found that it is not originally a dish from Tamilnadu, But a dish from Mexico. It is simple to explain this.

The tomato is native to South America.The word "tomato" comes from the Nahuatl word tomatl, literally "the swelling fruit". Aztecs and other peoples in the region used the fruit in their cooking; it was cultivated in southern Mexico and probably other areas by 500 BC.

After the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the Spanish distributed the tomato throughout their colonies in the Caribbean. They also took it to the Philippines, from where it spread to southeast Asia and then the entire Asian continent. Though there are no definite records of when and how it came to India , the Portuguese perhaps introduced it to India.

Tomato is one of the most important "protective foods" because of its special nutritive value. It is one of the most versatile vegetable with wide usage in Indian culinary tradition. Tomatoes are used for soup, salad, pickles, ketchup, puree, sauces and in many other ways It is also used as a salad vegetable. Tomato has very few competitors in the value addition chain of processing. India is the 4th largest producer of this vegetable.

Coming back to history of this dish, Mexican rice, also known in US as Spanish rice, is a side dish made from white rice, tomatoes, garlic, onions, parsley, cilantro (coriander) and other ingredients. Although it is called "Spanish rice" this side dish is unknown in Spain. The term "Spanish rice" is not used by Mexicans or Mexican food enthusiasts, and its use probably stems from the fact that the Spanish language is spoken in Mexico, and the dish is usually simply referred to as arroz ("rice") in Mexico.

This is a preparation of this variant in south of India. Tangy Tomato Rice makes a great one-dish meal.

Ingredients:

•2 cups cooked Basmati rice (you can also use leftover rice)
•4 large ripe tomatoes cut into cubes
•2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
•1 tsp mustard seeds
•1 large onion chopped fine
•2 green chillies slit lengthwise
•1" piece of ginger grated
•2 tsps coriander powder
•1 tsp cumin powder
•1 tbsp garam masala
•Salt to taste

Preparation:

•Heat the oil in a deep pan and add the mustard seeds and green chillies. When they stop spluttering add the onion and fry till soft.
•Add the tomato and ginger and mix well. Cook till the tomatoes turn pulpy.
•Add the coriander, cumin and garam masala powders, salt to taste and mix well. Cook on a low flame for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
•Turn off the fire and add the rice. Mix well.
•Serve with pappadum and onions mixed with salt,cucmber slices, carrot slices and youghurt(salad).