Tomato Rice

This is a regular in my house. I got this recipe from Mallika Badrinaths cook book. These kind of rice dishes were a lifesaver for me when I was working full time. I used to make double or triple the amount of the tomato masala mix and freeze in portions. Next time I just had to remember to take it out of the freezer the previous night. Morning only make rice, mix and keep in MW bowl for hubby and daughter to eat for lunch take my portion to office and I am raring to go. Add some pappads or eggs or potato chips or for die hard nonveggies chicken fry. The pappads can be fried the previous night ( I used to schedule pooris the previous night so I didnt have to heat the oil twice (arent I clever ?). OK  enough patting myself on the back, here's the recipe:

Tomato Rice and Fried Egg

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 4 Chopped.
Onions - 1 or 2 Finely chopped
Green chillies - 2 nos slit vertically
Peas - 1/4 - 1/2 cup (I use frozen)
Curry Leaves - 1 -2 sprigs
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Perungayam podi - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp or 1 " cube butter (just for the fragrance)
Rice - 1 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Procedure:
Cook Rice till done but not mushy. I use rice cooker. If you use pressure cooker you can make the masala when the pressure is returning to normal. If you are doubling or tripling start as soon as you put the rice to cook.
Chop tomatoes and let them start cooking first in a separate pan or nuke in the microwave along with a little salt and the green peas till mushy. Meanwhile chop onions, heat kadai, add oil, add chana dal, udad dal, and then the mustard. when the mustard pops add the hing and add chopped onions immediately. Add a little salt (remember the salt in the tomatoes) and the green chillies , sautee till golden reduce flame if it is on high at this stage, add turmeric and chilli powder, stirr well till chilli powder is fragrant mayne 40 secs. add cooked tomatoes and green peas. simmer for a few mins for the flavours to blend. Check for salt, sourness, and chilli. add garam masala. Add ghee or butter now. Mix well, add cooked rice or add to the cooked rice depending on which vessel is bigger. Switch off the flame. Mix gently but thoroughly to distribute the tomato masala evenly with the rice. Finis.

This is a good picnic food also. If you are going with staunch veggies as your guests, add paneer cubes fried till golden just before mixing the rice, it will look real swanky, but of course the name of the dish will be paneer tomato rice. (Grin)