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Home » Recipes » Biryani

tomato biryani recipe, thakkali biryani

LAST UPDATED: Jun 1, 2021 . PUBLISHED: Dec 10, 2020 by Asiya . Leave a Comment

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Tomato biryani, a biryani made in simple style using veggies such as onions, tomatoes, yogurt, spices and rice in a pressure cooker in simple style. The biryani is a quick tomato mixed rice made using whole spices and is one of the simple lunch box rice recipes that can be carried anywhere.

tomato biryani served in a bowl
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  • About the recipe
  • Step by step procedure
  • Video
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About the recipe

The biryani is made by soaking basmati rice for about 25 minutes to 30 minutes and then mixing in the tomato gravy which is made by adding whole spices in tempering and then using onions, tomatoes, yoghurt and making a good gravy.

It is a one-pot dish that can be made in under 30 minutes just by using the pressure cooking method. It is a common south indian biryani made using tomatoes and these are usually referred to as "thakkali" in the Tamil Nadu region of Southern India and hence is called thakkali biryani.

Tomatoes are good in vitamin c and tomatoes can be taken in many forms such as tomato bath, tomato rice and there are many other tomato recipes that are good with rice such as tomato Pappu, tomato rasam, tomato chicken curry, tomato pickle, tomato rice.

Ingredients

Oil: Oil is used as a base to make any gravy and using olive oil is a more healthy option but other oils such as vegetable oil or any edible oil would do better.

Whole spices: Garam masala such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black cumin or shahi jeera, bay leaf are all used as whole spices to give a flavorful aroma to the biryani rice.

Onions, tomatoes: If making a one-pot biryani then using onions and chopped tomatoes to get a good gravy and to make a good masala is essential and are the main ingredients in making a veg rice recipe.

Yoghurt: Dahi or yoghurt gives a slightly sour flavour to the rice and these are the main ingredients in making a one pot biryani and adding a good amount of tomatoes gives good colour and main flavour to the thakkali biryani.

Dry spices: The gravy tastes best and gives the perfect flavour by adding required spice powders such as salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste which are the main flavours in giving good taste to the gravy.

Peas: Any veggie can be added to make this biryani but since this is exclusively made as a tomato biryani, I have added only a few veggies such as matar/peas, tomatoes chopped.

Other veggies such as diced potatoes, chopped carrots can be addedas optional veggies but onions, tomato and dahi is very essential.

Coriander and mint leaves: These herbs are added as every biryani is incomplete without using these fresh herbs and these give a good aroma to any biryani recipe.

Mint should always be added in moderation as adding many leaves gives a very minty flavour and dominates the rest of the flavours.

tomato biryani served in a bowl

Below are the recipe details on how to make tomato biryani with detailed procedure...

Similar recipes on the blog:

Check out tomato bath and tomato pickle which are perfect tomato recipes and if looking for rice recipes then do check out paneer pulao which is also made quickly in a pressure cooker.

Step by step procedure

Soaking the basmati rice:

  • The basmati rice should be washed and soaked for at least 30 minutes.

Making the biryani:

  • Take a pressure cooker, add oil and heat it.
add oil to cooker and heating it
  • Add whole spices such as cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, shahi jeera, bay leaf and saute few seconds.
Add whole spices such as cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick
  • Add finely sliced onions into it.
Adding finely sliced onions
  • Add salt to taste and saute the onions until they turn slight pinkish in color.
Adding salt to taste and sauteing
  • Add slit green chillies.
Adding slit green chillies
  • saute until the onions turn slight golden in color.
sauteing until the onions turn slight golden in color
  • Add ginger garlic paste and saute well to get rid of raw smell.
Adding ginger garlic paste
  • Add sliced tomatoes into it.
Adding sliced tomatoes
  • mix and cook until the tomatoes get mushy and soft.
mixing and cooking
  • Add julienned carrots into it. Add green peas and saute few seconds.
adding julienned carrots into it and adding green peas
  • Add yogurt, mix well.
Adding yogurt
  • Add salt as per taste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder.
  • Add black pepper powder to the tomato gravy.
adding dry spices to tomato biryani
  • Mix well and cook the gravy on medium to low heat until oil leaves the sides. Keep stirring in between.
Mixing well and cooking the gravy
  • Add water that is about 5.5 cups water (for 3 cups of rice) and stir well.
Adding water
  • Add coriander leaves, mint leaves, check for salt and if required as per taste.
Add coriander leaves, mint leaves, to tomato rice biryani
  • Add soaked basmati rice (3 cups) into it.
Adding soaked basmati rice
  • stir well to mix rice with water.
stirring the tomato biryani
  • Pressure cook the rice for 1 whistle on high flame.
Pressure cooking the rice for 1 whistle
  • Switch off the flame and let the pressure release naturally.
removing the pressure release naturally.
  • Remove the lid after 5 minutes.
thakkali biryani is ready
  • The rice should be served once it cools down to avoid the soggy texture and have a grainy rice appearance.
  • Serve hot with raita.

Video

Recipe

tomato biryani or thakkali biryani

Tomato biryani recipe

Asiya
A tomato and rice mixed biryani made in pressure cooker.
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Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main(Rice), Rice
Cuisine Andhra/South Indian
Servings 3
Calories 877 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoon oil
  • 2 cloves/loung
  • 2 cardamoms/elaichi
  • 1 medium cinnamon stick
  • ½ tsp shahi zeera
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 medium size onions, finely sliced
  • 4-5 slit green chillies
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • 3 tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ cup julienne carrots
  • 1-2 tablespoon green peas/ matar
  • 2 tablespoon yogurt/dahi
  • salt to taste
  • ½ tsp red chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
  • 5 ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoon coriander leaves
  • 4 mint leaves
  • 3 cups basmati rice (450 gms approx...)
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Instructions
 

Soaking the basmati rice:

  • The basmati rice should be washed and soaked for at least 30 minutes.

Making the biryani:

  • Take a pressure cooker, add oil and heat it.
  • Add whole spices such as cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, shahi zeera, bay leaf and saute few seconds.
  • Add finely sliced onions into it.
  • Add salt to taste and saute the onions until they turn slight pinkish in color.
  • Add slit green chillies and saute until the onions turn slight golden in color.
  • Add ginger garlic paste and saute well to get rid of raw smell.
  • Add sliced tomatoes into it, mix and cook until the tomatoes get mushy and soft.
  • Add julienned carrots into it.
  • Add green peas and saute few seconds.
  • Add yogurt, mix well.
  • Add salt as per taste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder.
  • Add black pepper powder to the tomato gravy.
  • Mix well and cook the gravy on medium to low heat until oil leaves the sides.
  • Keep stirring in between.
  • Add water that is about 5.5 cups water (for 3 cups of rice) and stir well .
  • Add coriander leaves. mint leaves, check for salt and if required as per taste.
  • Add soaked basmati rice (3 cups) into it and stir well.
  • Pressure cook the rice for 1 whistle on high flame.
  • Switch off the flame and let the pressure release naturally.
  • Remove the lid after 5 minutes.
  • The rice should be served once it cools down to avoid the soggy texture and have a grainy rice appearance.
  • Serve hot with raita.

Notes

  • Here it is made in a pressure cooking method but slow cooking method too can be done just by cooking the rice until it is done after adding rice and not pressure cooking.
  • If 2 whistles are given on high flame then release the pressure by force using a spatula...

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Tomato biryani recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 877 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 627mg27%
Potassium 1000mg29%
Carbohydrates 166g55%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 689IU14%
Vitamin C 39mg47%
Calcium 197mg20%
Iron 6mg33%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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FAQ'S

Which rice is best to make?

Here biryani tastes good by using basmati rice and I have used the same in this biryani but any rice can be used such as sona masoori or ordinarily available rice but it is always the first option to use basmati long grain rice but any rice recipe can be made using ordinary small grain rice as well.

Accompaniments to this biryani?

The biryani can be served with raita or any kurma such as potato kurma, veg kurma or any veg side dish curry such as potato curry etc...
It tastes best with raita or any veg gravy can be served along with it.

Which tomatoes to be used?

It is best to use red ripe tomatoes for better flavours and tomatoes are always available easily in India and other countries too and all the ingredients that are used to make in this recipe are easily available in every place.

Cooker method or slow cooked method?

The biryani can be made in a pressure cooker but should not be given more than 2 whistles on high flame and it can also be slow-cooked just by slow cooking the rice once it has been added and then cooked until done.

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This is Asiya, a graduate in Engineering and Technology from Hyderabad, India with always a passion for cooking and trying different recipes therefore started food blogging...

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