Tomato Coconut Rice

An easy and simple recipe for Kerala-style flavored tomato coconut rice with video instructions. This is a mild South Indian rice recipe with tomatoes and coconut and few spices to add aroma and flavor. Trust me, this recipe is good to have in your repertoire if you are a busy cook. If you have cooked rice ready, this stovetop meal comes together in about 15-20 minutes. 

When I don't have to prepare an elaborate meal OR I just brain freeze as to what to make for lunch/dinner, I love to prepare this. It doesn't take much time and with a few pantry staples and refrigerator ingredients, you are ready to prepare this.

My mother-in-law shared this recipe with us (sister-in-law & I) a few years ago after seeing it on a TV cooking show. I have made this flavored rice a gazillion times, that I don't even measure the ingredients. I just eyeball it and it comes out pretty amazing every time.

What are the ingredients?

Full recipe + measurements + video can be found in the recipe card below.

• Cooked Rice
• Coconut
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Green Chillies
• Turmeric Powder
• Tomatoes
• Curry leaves
• Whole Spices - bay leaf, cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves
• Coconut Oil

Cooked Rice - I prefer to use short grained rice varieties like Sona Massori or Jeera rice. If you are a fan of Basmati rice or brown rice, you can try this recipe using those varieties as well. I feel that you need an extra OOmph of flavor if you are using brown rice. Always adjust the spices according to your taste.

I use Instant pot to cook the rice al dente. For best results, cook the rice ahead of time and cool it completely. See, I told ya!, it is like Kerala style tomato fried rice. :). [Unlike the regular south Asian fried rice recipes, this is cooked on medium heat and not high heat]

Be careful to not overcook the rice as that leads to stickiness and mushiness.

If you do not have leftover rice to use in the recipe do the following: Make a fresh batch of rice. Spread it on a tray and let it cool down. You can even refrigerate it or freeze it to cut down on cooling time.

P.S. I have not added additional salt in the preparation, since I cook rice with salt.

Coconut - This Kerala style tomato coconut rice uses grated coconut as one of the main ingredients. Roasting the coconut lightly brings out a lot of flavor. Freshly grated coconut is the best. Alternative is to use frozen and thawed coconut.

Ginger & Garlic- These are like the most essential flavoring agents for this dish. Keep in mind to cook off the raw smell. You can use fresh ginger and garlic crushed with mortar & pestle for best results. Store bought ginger garlic paste works too.

Green Chillies - We use green chillies (or Serrano Pepper) to introduce heat to the flavored tomato coconut rice. Use as per your taste. Add more green chillies if you like spicier version. Reduce the quantity OR devein the green chillies for a milder version. If you cut green chillies with hands, make sure you wash the hands, chopping board and knife with soap immediately to prevent chilli pepper burn.

Turmeric Powder - aka ground turmeric. Adds beautiful golden hue to the dish apart from all the health benefits it offers. Do not skip this. You can buy this in most grocery stores, your local Indian stores or on Amazon. Be careful, turmeric stains.

Tomatoes - I use ripe yet firm tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes to your liking. [I Stop cooking the tomatoes when they turn slightly soft.]

Curry leaves- Curry leaves have no connection to the curry powder I used in the Pineapple Curry Rice. Curry leaves belong to the citrus family. They have a very unique aroma and slightly bitter-ish taste. Skip the curry leaves if you don't have them. Its OK. :).

Whole spices - used in the recipe are bay leaf, cinnamon, green cardamom and cloves. Remember to crush the green cardamom and cloves gently before adding to the oil. This prevents them from popping in the oil. Fry them for a few seconds in the oil to get the maximum flavor.

Coconut Oil - For the authentic taste, use coconut oil. Any other cooking oil works too.

What are the steps involved to prepare the rice?

It is a pretty simple and straight forward recipe to prepare and hardly takes a few minutes to prepare.

• Heat oil
• Add the whole spices.
• Fry the coconut, ginger, garlic, & turmeric.
• Add the tomatoes, Cook till done.
• Mix the rice.
• Serve hot.

Is this same as Thakkali Choru?

People call it thakkali choru or thakkali sadam since both mean tomato rice. Search the web and you will find a ton of different recipes for the thakkali choru showing how significant it is especially in the South Indian cuisine. I wanted to be more precise, hence we call it tomato coconut rice. But, what's in a name? :).

Serving suggestions

A simple onion or mixed vegetable raitha (Indian style yogurt based dip with onion or mixed vegetables) will pair very well this tomato rice.

If you want to be elaborate, this rice has a flavor profile that goes so well some of the non-vegetarian dishes I have shared on the blog. If you ask me to pick my ABSOLUTE favorite combo, I would pick this fish curry

Fish curry is not your only option, as I suggest you try it with chicken ghee roast (marinated chicken pieces cooked in ghee and spices) or chicken fry or simple chicken roast. They are all really tasty!

meal prep for tomato coconut rice

Seriously, this recipe has very little prep work to do. With a little planning ahead, you are ready to prepare the flavorsome dish. Like any other fried rice recipes, if you have leftover cooked rice you are almost ready to prepare the dish. It hardly takes 15-20 minutes to get it ready and I L-O-V-E this dish because of its simplicity without compromising on the flavors.

Leftovers?

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can reheat in microwave or stove top.

My favorite method is reheating in a skillet/wok over stove top. This method needs a little more attention than the microwave method, but it does not dry out the rice.

I heat a little coconut oil on a skillet on medium heat and add the leftover rice to reheat. Stir regularly until reheated .

Check out these rice dishes

• Tired of regular fried rice? Why not give this Thai inspired pineapple curry rice a try? Flavors are amazing and comes together very quickly. Add your choice of proteins.
• Saffron infused rice which is pretty straight forward and works well as a side for your meat dishes.
• Looking for something Indian? Here you go. Try this paneer and corn pulao. Want to make vegan? Switch paneer with Tofu.

A few quick additional notes

• 1 cup = 250 ml. Typical US cups are 240 ml. You can use US cups for measurements without any drastic difference in the recipe.
• Grams to cups measurements – we strive to provide these conversions as accurately as possible. There might be some slight variations depending on the brand, weighing scale etc.
• Use rice that was cooked ahead of time and cooled completely for best results. Break the lumps in the rice before adding to the skillet/wok. I add salt while cooking the rice for this recipe. This ensures uniform distribution of salt. If you have not added salt while cooking rice, add it to the skillet along with the rice. Mix well to combine.
• Serving size - I usually serve this as a main meal - usually serves as a heavy meal for ~ 2-3 people. If you are serving as side, it will make a few more servings. Always adjust the serving size to suit your dietary needs.

If you tried this recipe, please consider giving us a star rating and feedback. Reviewing, leaving feedback, and star rating a recipe, not only helps me grow as a food blogger but also helps others discover my blog. I L-O-V-E to hear from you! 🙂 Your email address will not be published. Thank you for your support!