TOMATO-SWEET CORN RICE - An Easy comfort lunchbox meal

I prefer to pack variety rice for lunch as it is not only easier to make but also a complete comfort meal.  During  my school days, I never liked tomatoes and as I get older my food preference got changed eventually.  I am sure many of us would have gone through the gradual transition in likeness - from a nonliker to a complete craver and vice versa.  Now I couldn't image managing my kitchen without tomatoes.

I still remember the time when mom packs this special tomato rice for lunch during my school and college days.  In no time, my lunchbox would get finished whenever she packs this dish.  I have always felt that there is an extra flavor in Mom's recipe and later learned the secret of it.  It is the addition of freshly ground spice powder.

With the thought of exploring the changing food likeness, I added sweet corn to this dish.  The sweetness rendered by sweet corn at every bite along with the spiciness and flavor imparted by the "spice powder" placed the dish on the top hit list at home.

Ingredients:

Cooked rice - 2 cups

Tomatoes - 1/2 kg

Onion - 2

Sweet corn kernels - 1 cup (i used frozen sweet corn)

Green chillies - 3-4

Garlic pods - 10

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

To roast and grind

Bengal gram - 3 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Dhania (dry coriander seeds) - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 4-5

Asafoetida - 1 small piece (Can be replaced with powder)

To Temper:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp

Bengal gram - 1/2 tsp

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon stick - 1/2 piece

Curry leaves - few

Preparation:

1. Cook rice in pressure cooker.  Allow it to cool completely.

2.  Roast and grind the items given in "To roast and grind section".

3. Cut onions and tomatoes as desired. Slit green chillies.

4. Heat a wok/pan with little oil and throw in the tempering items one by one.

5.Add the onions and garlic pods and required salt.  
 

6. When the onions have turned slightly brown, add sweet corn kernels.

 7. Add tomatoes and mix well.  Let this mixture gets cooked in medium flame.

8. When the tomatoes have turned mushy and corn kernels have cooked, add ground spice powder and chilly powder. Mix well and keep in flame for 2 minutes.

 

9. Add the cooked rice and mix well.

10. Can be served with raita, chips or any dry roasted vegetable.