What happens when you stir-fry cooked brown rice with a spice-heavy tomato base? Something much more flavourful than plain brown rice and nearly as fast if the rice is already cooked. Mustard seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger crackle in hot oil. Sliced red onion and plum tomatoes go in with cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and tomato paste. Then the rice and fresh mint.
The tomato paste is there to deepen the colour and concentrate the tomato flavour beyond what fresh plum tomatoes alone can do. Half a cup of water loosens the spice mixture before the rice goes in. The mint goes in last, raw, so it stays bright. This is what we make when there is leftover rice in the fridge and we want dinner to taste like more effort than it was.
Tips for Making Spicy Tomato Brown Rice
Start with the mustard seed tempering
Heat oil, add mustard seeds, and wait for them to pop. Then dried chilies, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger. This tempering flavours the oil that coats every grain of rice.
Keep the heat medium. Curry leaves splatter and garlic burns fast. Have your onions ready to go in immediately after.
Use pre-cooked brown rice
Two cups of cooked brown rice, ideally leftover from the day before. Cold rice separates better in the pan and absorbs the spiced tomato mixture without getting mushy.
If cooking fresh, spread the rice on a tray and let it cool completely before adding to the wok.
Spicy Tomato Brown Rice
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Description
A flavorful rice dish with a spicy kick. Leftover takeout rice works great!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (473 ml) brown rice
- 1 small red onion
- 4 plum tomatoes
- 0.5 cups (118 ml) green pepper
- 2 dried red chilies
- 6-7 curry leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
- 0.5 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
- 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons light olive oil
- A bunch of fresh mint leaves
- Salt
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add mustard seeds, chilies, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger; cook until the seeds begin to splutter.
- Add onions and cook for another few minutes until they turn translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, green pepper, and all dry spices. Turn the flame to medium-low, cover, and cook until the tomatoes are tender.
- Uncover and add the tomato paste along with ½ cup of water.
- Cook until the mixture begins to simmer, then add the rice and mint leaves.
- Mix well, adjust seasoning, and cook for a few minutes until the rice has absorbed any excess liquid.
- Serve hot with a dash of yogurt and crispy poppadams.
Notes
- For a smokier flavor, toast the cumin powder and coriander powder in a dry pan before adding them to the dish.
- Leftover cooked rice (white or brown) can be used; adjust cooking time as needed to ensure the rice is heated through.
- If you prefer less heat, remove the seeds from the dried red chilies before adding them to the pan.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stir-Frying
- Cuisine: Indian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 300
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 7
- Cholesterol: 0
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use white rice?
Yes. White basmati works and cooks faster. The dish was designed for brown rice, which has a nuttier flavour and chewier texture, but either is fine.
What are curry leaves?
Aromatic leaves from the curry leaf tree, used in South Indian cooking. They have a citrusy, slightly nutty flavour and are fried in oil to release their oils. Available fresh or dried at Indian grocery stores.
How spicy is this?
Two dried red chilies and half a teaspoon each of cumin and garam masala make it moderately spicy. For milder, use one dried chili. For hotter, add half a teaspoon of red chili powder with the other spices.
