There are so many cultures that have their own version of tomato rice: from the Portuguese, the Vietnamese, and the Persians, to a variety of African cultures and many more! Every culture seems to have their own version that highlights the amazing flavors and spices that accompany their cuisine. Our friend Vandana shared her own recipe for Tomato Rice that is simple, flavorful and made with herbs and spices to give it that warm Southeast Asian flavor profile that is so delicious.
Tomato Rice is a popular dish in many cuisines, but the basis of Vandana’s recipe is the fresh, quality tomatoes that enrich the flavor and brings the whole dish together. Using our Sangria® Medley Tomatoes, with their vibrant colors, unique flavors and fresh, juicy sweetness, Vandana cooked them along with her own spice blend and mixed them with rice to create this aromatic and flavorful dish.
The Goodness of Tomatoes
The tomato is a versatile vegetable that is an integral part of many cuisines worldwide. The daily consumption of tomatoes is good for your health and adds so much flavor to food. Each color of our Sangria® Medley Tomatoes offers a different health benefit:
- Red & Orange – high in lycopene. Lycopene is a plant nutrient that is rich with antioxidant properties. It’s the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color and it can help improve heart function and lower the risk of certain types of cancers. Research has shown that orange tomatoes have slightly higher levels of lycopene than red tomatoes.
- Yellow – high in iron and zinc. These are essential micronutrients for human growth, development, and maintenance of the immune system.
- Brown – especially rich in potassium and magnesium. Potassium helps the body regulate fluid, send nerve signals to the brain, and regulates muscle contractions. Magnesium’s main role is to act as a helper molecule that is involved in more than 600 reactions in the body including energy creation, protein formation, gene maintenance, muscle movements and nervous system regulation!
- Green – high in Vitamin K and calcium. Vitamin K is important for blood clotting, bone metabolism and promoting calcium accumulation in your bones. Calcium is needed for building and maintaining strong bones.
It’s no wonder that tomatoes are considered a superfood!
Our Sangria® Medley Tomatoes are part of our healthy snacking line, along with our Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes, Juno® Bites Red Grape Tomatoes, Oriana® Orange Grape Tomatoes and Bumbles® Yellow Grape Tomatoes. Each one of these tomatoes has their own unique flavor profile and are full of amazing health benefits. Not only are they great to snack on, but they are extremely versatile in the kitchen too!
Tomato Rice – An Easy One Pot Meal
The first step of this recipe is crucial. You’re going to heat some oil in your pan on medium and then add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black pepper, cloves, and cardamom. This process is often called toasting and it will tremendously bring out the flavor in your spices. Since the whole point of cooking with spices is to enhance the flavors of the dish, it’s important to know the correct way of doing it to maximize the flavor. Shake the pan or stir the spices to prevent them from burning.
Next, you will add the tomato purée that you will make with our Sangria® Medley Tomatoes, some salt, chili powder, coriander powder and sauté everything until the oil separates. Add in your already cooked basmati rice, chopped tomatoes, and mix to combine. Turn the heat down to low and cook the mixture until it becomes dry. Watch that it doesn’t start to burn! Finally, add the coriander leaves and take it off the heat.
Vandana suggests serving the rice with boondi raita and salad. You can also serve it as a side to your favorite protein!
For Vandana’s full Tomato Rice recipe, click here.
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