Kids Lunchboxes, are those, that often require a lot of thought and planning that needs to go into it. We like our children to eat the food they like and yet be healthy at the same time. So here is a simple lunch box of tomato rice with some carrot raita and grapes which is healthy and can be prepared in less than 20 minutes.

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or a dietician, I am doing what is best for my kid to create a balanced lunch.

KIDS LUNCH BOX #13 - Tomato Rice using Coconut Milk + Carrot Raita + Red Grapes

Some kids school lunch box ideas to try…

Here is what I packed for school lunch…

LUNCH - Tomato Rice using Coconut Milk - Please find the Tomato Rice Detailed Recipe. I have followed the same recipe but added ½ cup of peas to the recipe. If you dont have coconut milk, you can skip it. I try avoiding using store brought coconut milk since it has preservatives. I made this recipe in Instant Pot (Pressure cooker).

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instant pot tomato rice pulao served in a white bowl with whole tomatoes on the side

Tomato Rice Recipe - Instant Pot & Stovetop

Bhavana Patil

Tomato Rice using Coconut Milk is a Tamilnadu style tomato rice recipe made with fresh tomatoes, coconut milk and few Indian spices.

4.72 from 14 votes

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Servings:

Calories : 440

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, South Indian

Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop

Prep Time : 15

Cook Time : 15

Total Time : 30

Equipment

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 large onion sliced thinly
1 green chili slit lengthwise
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
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

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 process mentioned above for 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

I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT

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.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 440kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 7gFat: 10gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 60mgPotassium: 277mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 435IUVitamin C: 11.2mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1.3mg

Keyword instant pot, instant pot tomato rice, tomato biryani, tomato recipes, Tomato Rice, tomato rice with coconut milk

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SNACK - Carrot Raita - simple yogurt(curd) made with salt, pepper, cumin (jeera) powder, and grated or minced carrot. Add a few teaspoons of milk to yogurt raita can help it not turn sour by lunchtime.

SNACK - Red Grapes - Wash them before packing them into the box.

Prep Work For The Previous Evening

You can prepare coconut milk at the night. Blend together ½ cup of shredded coconut with 1 cup of water. Drain the mixture and it yields ½ cup of coconut milk. Refrigerate in an airtight container.

Notes

Adding a few teaspoons of milk to yogurt raita can help it not turn sour by lunchtime.
Packed in a stainless steel tiffin box called Lunchbots which is Eco-Friendly, Dishwasher Safe, BPA-Free, and easily available on Amazon. Do not use plastic lunch boxes to your kids, they are toxic.
You can increase or decrease quantity based on your child's appetite.

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