One Pot Tomato Masala

This week, I was browsing foodgawker.com to find new recipe inspiration. I’ve felt like things in my kitchen were getting pretty redundant – lots of zucchini and lots of pesto and really gigantic portions of salsa were basically going through a systematic and constant rotation. When I found Cook’s Hideout Tomato Biryani recipe, I knew I had to try it out.  Unfortunately, I did not have all of the ingredients. Undeterred, I worked my way through my refrigerator and spice shelf to see what I could throw together. It turned out to be pretty delicious in its own right.

I should learn to plan ahead. Having a more forward-thinking attitude would certainly save me from some epic cooking disasters. Ah, the culinary horrors that could have been avoided by picking up the right things at the grocery. On the other hand, my on-the-fly approach can sometimes lead to fun experiments and unexpected triumphs. Unexpected triumphs taste sweetest, or in this case, savoriest.

So here’s what you need:

1 cup of rice. I went with white rice but brown would be nice too.

1 can of coconut milk

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

5 roma tomatoes, diced

1 yellow onion, chopped into nice pieces

2 teaspoons of minced garlic

1 bag of frozen peas, but the fresh equivalent would be good, too, obviously.

A little olive oil

Teaspoon of salt

Small side of a tablespoon of garam masala. You might need less. I have some old spices and they may have lost some potency over time.

Dash of cumin.

Dash of ginger.

½ cup of water.

In a nice size pot or pan, fry the onions in olive oil until translucent on medium heat. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Mix it in. Add the peas and fresh tomatoes. Once those start cooking, add the coconut milk and the rest of the spices. Stir well. Add the rice and water. Once things start boiling, turn the heat down and let the whole dish simmer. When the rice has absorbed the water and looks nice and cooked, turn off the heat. Let the dish sit for a while because it gets super hot.  Then, ladle into a bowl or onto a plate and enjoy. I like it. I have none left and I just made it earlier this week. I sure hope you like it, too. And if you don’t have all the ingredients, well, don’t let that stop you.