Tomato Rice, also known as Thakkali Sadam, is a popular South Indian dish showcasing the vibrant and aromatic flavours of the South Indian region’s cuisine. This dish is a delightful medley of cooked rice, tangy tomatoes, and a blend of traditional spices, creating a comforting and flavorful meal that many cherish.
Instant Pot Tomato Rice uses simple, everyday spices from your pantry. This Instant Pot Thakkali Sadam is a popular lunchbox recipe from South India. Perfect, one-pot rice for busy days and weeknights as well.
Jump to:
- Why you will love this Instant Pot Tomato Rice Recipe
- Ingredients needed to make Instant Pot Tomato Rice
- How to make Instant Pot Tomato Rice in South Indian Style
- How to make South Indian Tomato Rice on a Stovetop
- Serving Suggestions
- Tips to make the best Tomato Rice Recipe in Instant Pot
- Frequently asked questions
- Other Rice Recipes
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- Recipe Card
Instant Pot Tomato Rice involves cooking the rice with a flavorful tomato-based mixture infused with spices and aromatics. The dish is often garnished with fresh cilantro and served with sides such as raita (yogurt-based condiment), papad (crispy lentil wafers), or a simple vegetable stir-fry. The tangy and aromatic profile of Thakkali Sadam makes it a versatile dish suitable for everyday meals and special occasions.
Growing up, tomato rice was one dish that was often on my lunchbox menu. I love the tanginess of ripened tomatoes and enjoy this rice to the core. As a busy working woman, my mom picked easy but delicious one-pot recipes for our lunchbox. This versatile dish is cherished by people worldwide for its simplicity, rich flavours, and comforting appeal.
For those following my blog, you would know that I love sharing basic everyday recipes here. This is one such beginner recipe as well. Coming from South India, rice is our staple ingredient. My day doesn’t end without one satisfying dish with rice. Quick mixed rice recipes like tomato rice, lemon rice, raw mango rice, etc, are my favourites.
While each family prepares this rice differently, I share the simplest version of Tomato Rice. This is typically how my grandmother and mother would make quick one-pot meals. No fancy ingredients, no extra frills. Today, to make it more convenient, I will share how to make this South Indian Tomato Rice in Instant Pot.
Why you will love this Instant Pot Tomato Rice Recipe
Convenience: The Instant Pot simplifies the cooking process, making it quick and hassle-free.
Flavourful: Combining tomatoes, spices, and rice creates comforting and satisfying flavours while making tomato rice instant pot.
Versatile: This quick recipe is made with easily available, simple ingredients. You can customize the recipe with additional vegetables, protein, or spices to suit your preferences.
Family-Friendly: It’s a hit for kids and adults, making it a go-to meal for family dinners.
Ingredients needed to make Instant Pot Tomato Rice
This is a home-style tomato rice recipe. This is not tomato biryani. So, we will not add any of the biryani spices, basmati rice, garam masala, etc. I have used ghee for this recipe because I love the flavour of fresh, homemade ghee. You can use your choice of oil as well.
Also, I have used regular raw rice here(Ponni Raw Rice or Sona Masoori Rice). You can use basmati rice as well. Honestly, I have never seen my grandmother cook with basmati rice. So, I have kept this recipe as authentic as possible.
How to make Instant Pot Tomato Rice in South Indian Style
Wash the rice and drain the water. Keep the Instant Pot on Sauté Mode.
Add ghee or oil. Once hot, add mustard, chana dal, red chilli, fennel seeds, and fenugreek seeds. Saute for a minute. Add slit green chillies, finely chopped ginger and garlic. Saute till a nice aroma comes.
Next, add in some thinly sliced onions and saute for a minute. Add the roughly chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes turn slightly soft.
Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder & coriander powder. Saute and cook until the spices blend well.
Now, let the mixture cook well until the tomatoes turn completely mushy. Add finely chopped mint and coriander leaves to the tomato masala at this stage. Mix it well with the tomato mixture.
Add water. After adding water, taste for salt. Adjust if needed. Add rice. Mix well. Close the pot with the lid. PRESSURE COOK on high pressure mode for 6 minutes. Natural Pressure release for 10 minutes. Release the pressure manually after 10 mins. Open the lid. Garnish with coriander leaves. South Indian Tomato Rice in Instant Pot is ready.
Leave it undisturbed for 10 mins. Stir gently and serve hot.
How to make South Indian Tomato Rice on a Stovetop
You can cook this rice on a stovetop in two ways. One is to cook the rice separately. Prepare the tomato mixture as mentioned above. Once done, add the rice to the tomato mixture, garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
The other way is to make the recipe in a stovetop pressure cooker. Take a pressure cooker and follow the instructions for making the tomato paste. Now, add water and let it boil. Once it nicely boils, add the washed and drained rice. Cook for 3 whistles on medium flame.
Serving Suggestions
Tomato rice tastes amazing with some simple potato fry or plantain fry. Try serving it with Dry Aloo Matar, Kovakkai Poriyal. These are perfect side dish for rice dishes.
You can also serve tomato rice with chips, papad or simple onion raita. Try my
Okra Raita or Eggplant Raita for a variation.
Tips to make the best Tomato Rice Recipe in Instant Pot
Use well-ripened tomatoes for the best results. You can puree the tomato and add it to the recipe, but I don’t prefer doing it. I love bits and pieces of tomato in my rice; this is exactly how it’s done back home.
Water quantity depends on the rice you use. I usually use 1: 2
(1 cup rice: 2 cups water ) for Ponni raw rice, Sona Masoori Rice or any short grain rice. If using Basmati Rice, you can use 1: 1 & ½. Make sure you soak your basmati rice for 15 minutes before cooking. For regular raw rice, no soaking is required.
You can use coconut milk instead of water for more flavour.
Once you release the pressure and open the lid, let the rice rest for at least 10 minutess before you handle it. This ensures that the rice doesn’t end up becoming mushy. Also, make sure you gently stir it with a fork or ladle.
This recipe is very mildly spiced. If you want to increase the spice level of tomato rice, increase the chillis or red chili powder.
Ginger-garlic paste can be used in place of fresh ginger and garlic. Curry leaves can be added too.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can prepare this recipe in a regular pressure cooker or a pot on the stovetop. Adjust the cooking times accordingly. Instructions have been mentioned above.
You can substitute with any long grain rice like basmati rice or brown rice, but you may need to adjust the cooking time and water ratio. Millets can be used instead of white rice, too.
Leftover instant pot tomato rice can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Ensure it is stored in an airtight container.
Absolutely! This thakkali sadam recipe is completely vegan (if using oil instead of ghee) and can be enjoyed by individuals following a plant-based diet.
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Instant Pot Tomato Rice | South Indian Thakkali Sadam Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Ripened Tomatoes medium size
- 1 Onion
- 1 inch Ginger finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 2 Green Chillies
- 1 tablespoon Ghee / Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
- 1 Red Chilli
- 5 Fenugreek Seeds optional
- 1 tablespoon Chana Dal
- Salt as needed
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 cup Rice
- 2 cups Water
- ¼ cup Coriander Leaves plus 1 tablespoon for garnishing
- ¼ cup Mint Leaves
Instructions
- Wash rice, drain the water and keep it aside. I have used Ponni Raw Rice.
- Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add ghee/oil to the POT.
- Once hot, add mustard seeds, chana dal, red chilli, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and saute for a minute.
- Add slit green chillies, finely chopped ginger and garlic.
- Saute till a pleasant aroma comes. Next, add in some thinly sliced onions and saute for a minute.
- Add the roughly chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes turn slightly mushy.
- Now, add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder & coriander powder. Saute and cook until the spices blend well.
- Now, let the mixture cook well until the tomatoes turn completely mushy. At this stage, add finely chopped mint and coriander leaves.
- Mix it well with the tomato mixture. Now, add water. After adding water, taste for salt. Adjust if needed. Add rice. Mix well.
- Close the pot with the lid. PRESSURE COOK on high-pressure mode for 6 mins. Release pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Release pressure manually after 10 mins. Open the lid.
- Garnish with coriander leaves. South Indian Tomato Rice in Instant Pot is ready. Leave it undisturbed for 10 mins. Stir gently and serve hot.