This Tomato Rice is a delicious South Indian rice recipe made with fresh tomatoes, coconut milk, and a few spices in an instant pot, stovetop pressure cooker, or pot. Pairs well with yogurt or raita.
Today, I am sharing one of the most requested recipe by my friends, its Tomato Rice with coconut milk. It is also known as Thakkali sadam. Just like Karnataka style vegetable pulao and coconut milk pulao, my husband and daughter are big fans of this tomato pulao.
Every home has its own way of making this dish. It’s a simple yet flavorful recipe where rice is cooked with lots of tomatoes and spices. I’ve added coconut milk for extra richness, but you can skip it and still enjoy the dish by following the same steps. It goes well with onion tomato raita or plain yogurt.
You can also add vegetables like green peas, potatoes, boiled black chickpeas, or soya chunks to make this dish healthier. It can be made in an Instant Pot, a stovetop pressure cooker, or a regular pan.
Check out my other Tomato recipes from my blog, like creamy tomato soup, onion tomato chutney, and creamy tomato pasta.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- How to Make Tomato Rice with Coconut Milk in Instant Pot
- Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
- Stovetop Pot Method
- What to Serve with Tomato Pulao?
- Storage Suggestions
- Tips to Make the Best Indian Tomato Rice
- Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Instant Pot Indian Rice Recipes
- Tomato Rice Recipe - Instant Pot & Stovetop
Ingredients
- Rice: I used long-grain white basmati rice. You may also use medium-grain sona masoori, or seera samba rice. Make sure to adjust the water as needed.
- Tomatoes: Use ripened, juicy, sweet, and sour tomatoes for the best flavor. If possible, use fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes or sauces.
- Onion: Use thinly sliced onions. You can also use shallots (small onions).
- Ginger and garlic: I used fresh homemade ginger paste and garlic paste. You can also mince and add them.
- Coconut Milk: You can use either homemade or store-bought full-fat coconut milk.
- Herbs: I used fresh mint and coriander leaves.
- Whole spices: I used cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom in this recipe. If you don't have whole spices, add garam masala powder at the end.
How to Make Tomato Rice with Coconut Milk in Instant Pot
Press SAUTE on the Instant Pot. Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil (or ghee), and add whole spices like 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 bay leaf, 1 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves, and 2 cardamom. Saute for a few seconds or till aromatic.
Next, add 1 large onion (sliced thinly), and 1 green chilies. Saute till the onions are soft and light brown.
Add 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste and saute for 1-2 minutes till the raw smell disappears.
Then add 1.5 cups of finely chopped tomatoes (or tomato puree), ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and salt. Cook till tomatoes turn soft and mushy. This can take 3-4 minutes.
Then add 2 tablespoons mint leaves, and 2 tablespoons coriander leaves. Saute for another minute.
Finally, ½ cup thick coconut milk, 1 cup water, and 1 cup rinsed basmati rice. Mix everything together.
Deglaze the pot (Make sure there are no food bits stuck to the bottom of the pot). This helps to avoid getting a 'BURN' Alert during pressure cooking.
Close the lid securely, and turn the vent to "SEALING". Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (High Pressure) setting and set the cooking time to 5 minutes.
When the instant pot beeps, do a quick pressure release before removing the lid.
Gently fluff up the rice with a ladle or fork. The Tomato Rice recipe is ready, serve with yogurt, raita.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
Follow the same steps as the Instant Pot. Close the lid and put the whistle weight on. Cook for 2 whistles on medium flame and turn off the gas. All the other steps remain the same.
Stovetop Pot Method
- Heat oil (or ghee) in a nonstick pan or Kadai. Add whole spices like cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Saute for a few seconds or till aromatic.
- Next, add onion, and green chilies. Saute till the onions are soft and light brown.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 1-2 minutes till the raw smell disappears.
- Then add finely chopped tomatoes (or tomato puree), turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Cook till tomatoes turn soft and mushy. This can take 3-4 minutes.
- Then add the mint leaves, and coriander leaves. Saute for another minute.
- Finally, coconut milk, water, and basmati rice. Mix everything.
- Close the lid and cook on medium heat until the water is absorbed, and then turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes. Open the lid and gently fluff up the rice. Tomato rice is ready.
What to Serve with Tomato Pulao?
Serve Tomato Rice using Coconut Milk with yogurt, onion tomato raita, papad, and pickle.
Storage Suggestions
- Store: Leftover Tomato pulao will keep well in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Let it cool completely, and then store it in an airtight container.
- Reheat: Sprinkle some water and reheat the tomato pulao in the microwave or stovetop until it warms through.
Tips to Make the Best Indian Tomato Rice
- Tomatoes: Use ripe, juicy Roma tomatoes for the best results.
- Type of Rice: Traditionally, short-grain rice like sona masuri or seeraga samba rice is used for tomato rice in south India, but I used basmati rice in this recipe.
- Rice-to-water ratio: The rice-to-water ratio is important for getting fluffy and nonsticky grains.
- Instant Pot: 1 cup Basmati rice: 1.5 cups of water
- Stovetop Pressure Cooker: 1 cup Basmati rice : 1 ¾ cups of water
- Stovetop Pot: 1 cup Basmati rice: 2 cups of water
Variations
- Fresh Herbs: I like to add mint (pudina) for flavoring, but you can skip it.
- Coconut Milk: I made fresh coconut milk at home, but you can use store-bought canned full-fat coconut milk as well. Tastes best with homemade coconut milk.
- Add vegetables: You can also add other veggies like carrots, green beans, sweet corn, mushrooms, and green peas to make them more healthy.
- Whole Spices: I used whole spices in this recipe, but you can skip them completely and add an extra ½ teaspoon of biryani masala or garam masala.
Frequently Asked Questions
Blend ½ cup of shredded coconut (fresh or frozen) with 1 cup of warm water. Strain the coconut milk in a strainer or nut milk bag. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate. You can save pulp for baked goods or add it to poriyal, smoothies, or coconut curries.
I personally like Chaokoh, Thai Kitchen Organic, Aroy-D, and 365 Everyday Value Organic Coconut Milk brands.
More Instant Pot Indian Rice Recipes
Tomato Rice Recipe - Instant Pot & Stovetop
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 large onion sliced thinly
- 1 green chili slit lengthwise
- 3-4 medium ripened tomatoes (or 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes or 1.5 cups tomato puree)
- 2 tablespoons mint (pudina) leaves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder (or biryani masala powder)
- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed
- ½ cup thick coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- salt to taste
Whole Spices
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaves
- 2 cardamom
- 3 cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Heat oil (or ghee), and add whole spices like cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Saute for a few secs or till aromatic.
- Next, add onion, and green chilies. Saute till the onions are soft and light brown.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 1-2 minutes till the raw smell disappears.
- Then add finely chopped tomatoes (or tomato puree), turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Cook till tomatoes turn soft and mushy. This can take 3-4 minutes.
- Then add the mint leaves, and coriander leaves. Saute for another minute.
- Finally, coconut milk, water, and basmati rice. Mix everything together.Deglaze the pot (Make sure there are no food bits stuck to the bottom of the pot). This helps to avoid getting a 'BURN' Alert during pressure cooking.
- Close the lid securely, and turn the vent to "SEALING". Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (High Pressure) setting and set the cooking time to 5 minutes.
- When the instant pot beeps, do a quick pressure release before removing the lid.
- Gently fluff up the rice with a ladle or fork. The Tomato Rice recipe is ready, serve with yogurt, raita.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method:
- Follow the same steps as the Instant Pot. Close the lid and put the whistle weight on. Cook for 2 whistles on medium flame and turn off the gas. All the other steps remain the same.
Stovetop Pot Method
- Heat oil (or ghee) in a nonstick pan or Kadai. Add whole spices like cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Saute for a few secs or till aromatic.
- Next, add onion, and green chilies. Saute till the onions are soft and light brown.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 1-2 minutes till the raw smell disappears.
- Then add finely chopped tomatoes (or tomato puree), turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Cook till tomatoes turn soft and mushy. This can take 3-4 minutes.
- Then add the mint leaves, and coriander leaves. Saute for another minute.
- Finally, coconut milk, water, and basmati rice. Mix everything.
- Close the lid and cook on medium-heat until the water is absorbed, and then turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes.
- Open the lid and gently fluff up the rice. Tomato Rice is ready, serve with yogurt, or raita.
Notes
Tips to make the Best Tomato Rice
- Tomatoes: Use ripe, juicy Roma tomatoes for the best results.
- Type of Rice: Traditionally short-grain rice like sona masuri or seeraga samba rice is used for tomato rice in south India, but I used basmati rice in this recipe.
- Rice-to-water ratio: The rice-to-water ratio is important to get fluffy and nonsticky grains.
- Instant Pot: 1 cup Basmati rice: 1.5 cups of water
- Stovetop Pressure Cooker: 1 cup Basmati rice :1 ¾ cups of water
- Stovetop Pot: 1 cup Basmati rice: 2 cups of water
Variations
- Fresh Herbs: I like to add mint (pudina) for flavoring, but you can skip it.
- Coconut Milk: I have made fresh coconut milk at home, but you can use store-bought canned full-fat coconut milk as well. Tastes best with homemade coconut milk.
- Add vegetables: You can also add other veggies like carrots, green beans, sweet corn, and green peas to make them more healthy.
- Whole Spices: I have used whole spices in this recipe, you can completely skip it and add an extra ½ teaspoon of biryani masala or garam masala.
Nutrition
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Nisha B
Made this for my kids lunch today with soy chunks ! Really yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Bhavana Patil
That's really good to know Nisha 🙂
Ramya
Tried this recipe first time and it tasted delicious. Adding coconut milk makes a lot of difference in taste. It was yummy ! Thank you for the recipe Bhavana.
bhavana
Thanks Ramya,This is Naveen's fav rice dish