Quick '30 mins' Spanish Tomato Rice

Pilafs can be kept real simple or made it a grand-fancy affair but they always do the job of bringing food to table in under 30 minutes. Today, i am making a very simple rice dish which needs very few ingredients and 30 minutes and the dish still promises a punch of bold flavors ! Lets make Spanish Tomato Rice.

Ever tried making tomato rice before? Well its really simple yet is flavorful and can really amp up a plain rice dish. Surprisingly enough, my mother never prepared tomato rice at home nor it is usually seen in restaurants in India, so i never had a chance to try that combination. If u haven’t tried it yourself, trust me.. you are missing something delicious ! This Spanish Tomato Rice is everything !

Tomato Rice – First Encounter

Recently, I got a chance to try out spanish tomato rice at a Mexican friend’s place. It so happened that me and my husband were invited for a potluck at my friend’s place and many of dishes people got were of Mexican origin. I got to try some really good vegetarian chili but apart from that the only other dish was vegetarian was “sopa de arroz” or Spanish tomato rice.

A few days ago, a fellow blogger friend Sarika who blogs her amazing Indian cooking at The taste of world , asked me for a guest post on her space. I said Yes without thinking twice and while i thought of many ideas for a recipe, this dish kept resonating ! So, i gave in to my temptations and prepared this dish to share with her readers on her blog. Have a look at my guest post here.

Spanish Tomato Rice

Spanish tomato rice

Servings: 4-5
Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: simple
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tomato rice

Ingredients

long grain rice – 2 cups
tomatoes, skin removed and pureed- 3 large (approx 1.5 cups )
water/ vegetable broth- 2.5 cups
tomato paste – 2 tablespoons
oil – 2 tablespoons
butter / vegan butter – 1 tablespoon
Salt and Black pepper to taste
garlic, minced – 3-4 cloves
jalapeno/ green chili, minced – 1 small
onion, finely chopped – 1 small
Juice of 1 lime
handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped

Method

Wash the rice thoroughly and drain the water.
Take a thick bottomed pan and add the butter + oil to it. Add in the washed rice and roast on medium flame for a couple of minutes or till the rice starts to get slightly brown.
Once the rice is roasted, remove and keep aside.
In the same pan, add the chopped onions and garlic. Saute till the onions are translucent.
Next, add in the pureed tomatoes, jalapeno and tomato paste. Mix well and cook till the tomatoes are cooked down and the water evaporates (a few minutes)
Now, add in the toasted rice, water, salt and pepper. Cook on high till the water boil. Once the water boils, reduce the flame and cover the pan with a lid.
Using a fork, fluff the rice and check if done. Add in lemon juice and gently mix. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve warm.

Now that is a gorgeous hue right there ! Who can say no to something like this? I served it as a side dish to my Chiles Rellenos / stuffed Poblano and it was just the best combination ever !! Try it !

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