🍅 Thulasi Priya’s Signature Jeeraga Samba Tomato Rice

A bold, comforting, masala-rich tomato rice infused with gingelly oil, lemon, hand-pounded aromatics, and the unmistakable aroma of jeeraga samba rice. A one-pot rice dish that speaks of warmth, balance, and South Indian soul.

✨ Introduction

This is my signature version of tomato rice — made with hand-pounded ginger and garlic, slitted green chilies, fresh coriander, and simple spices layered thoughtfully. It's not your typical temple-style dish, but rather a home-style comfort meal full of depth and gentle heat. The fragrant jeeraga samba rice makes all the difference, and every spoon feels warm, spicy, and deeply satisfying.

🧺 Ingredients (Serves 3)

🌾 Main:

Jeeraga samba rice – 2 cups (soaked for 20 minutes)

Sunflower oil – 1 tbsp

Gingelly (sesame) oil – 1 tbsp

Water – 2½ cups (hot)

🥬 Vegetables & Fresh Items:

Tomatoes – 4 medium (chopped)

Onion – 1 large (sliced thin)

Green chilies – 5 (all slit; 3 for sauté, 2 added before closing cooker)

Ginger – small piece, hand-pounded

Garlic – 6–7 cloves, hand-pounded

Fresh coriander – stems chopped for sauté, leaves chopped for garnish

Lemon – juice of 1 (squeezed and kept aside)

🧂 Spices:

Fennel seeds (saunf) – 1 tsp

Red chillies (whole) – 2

Kalpasi (stone flower) – 1 small piece

Asafoetida (hing) – 1 small cube, crumbled

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Red chili powder – ¾ tsp (adjust to taste)

Pepper powder – ½ tsp

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Sugar – a small pinch

🔥 Method:

1. Soak rice: Rinse and soak 2 cups of jeeraga samba rice in water for 20 minutes. Set aside.

2. Prep fresh items:

Pound the ginger and garlic roughly using a stone or hand-pestle.

Slit all 5 green chilies lengthwise. Keep 3 for sautéing and 2 aside for later.

Chop tomatoes, onion, coriander stems (separate from leaves), and extract lemon juice.

3. Heat oils: 

In a pressure cooker, heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil + 1 tbsp gingelly oil.

4. Sauté spices:

Add fennel seeds, whole red chillies, kalpasi, and crumbled asafoetida cube.

Sauté briefly until aromatic.

Add hand-pounded ginger and garlic, sauté until the raw smell fades.

5. Add vegetables:

Add sliced onion, chopped coriander stems, and 3 slit green chilies.

Sauté until onions become transparent.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they break down and become mushy.

6. Add masala powders:

Add turmeric, red chili powder (¾ tsp), pepper powder, garam masala, coriander powder, salt, and a pinch of sugar.

Cook the masala for 2–3 minutes until the raw smell of spices fades and oil starts releasing.

7. Mix rice: Drain the soaked rice and gently mix it into the masala until well-coated.

8. Add liquids:

Pour in lemon juice and 2½ cups of hot water.

Add salt as needed.

Place the remaining 2 slit green chilies on top.

9. Pressure cook:

Close the lid and pressure cook on medium flame for 3 whistles.

Turn off heat and allow pressure to release naturally.

10. Garnish and serve:

Once pressure is released, open the lid and gently fluff the rice.

Add chopped coriander leaves and a few drops of gingelly oil.

Mix gently and serve hot.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions:

With curd and appalam for a cooling combo

With just a spoon and a quiet evening

Priya’s Notes:

I skip mustard seeds in this recipe — fennel, kalpasi, and asafoetida give it a different depth.

If you want a more ghee-based version, you can drizzle a spoonful of ghee just before pressure cooking — but I prefer making with gingelly oil.

Jeeraga samba rice makes this dish aromatic and soft — don’t substitute unless needed.

This tomato rice is one of my proudest creations — simple to make, beautiful to eat, and full of heart.

Traditional Aloo Bonda

Ingredients:
For Filling:

1. Boiled Potatoes- 4 nos
2. Onion Finely Chopped- 1 Big Sized
3. Finely Chopped Green Chilies- 3 nos
4. Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves- 1 teaspoon
5. Finely Chopped Curry Leaves- 1 teaspoon
6. Red Chili Powder- 1 teaspoon
7. Mustard Seeds- 1/2 Teaspoon
8. Black Gram- 1/2 Teaspoon
9. Asafoetida- 1/4 Teaspoon
10. Salt- As Per Taste

For Outer Layer:

1. Bengal Gram Flour- 1/2 Cup
2. Rice Flour- 2 Teaspoon
3. Sooji Rava- 1 Teaspoon
4. Red Chili Powder- 1 Teaspoon
5. Asafoetida- A pinch
6. Salt- As Per Taste

( Mix Everything with Water and Make it as a Thick Paste)

Recipe:

1. In a Pan Add Oil
2. Add Mustard Seeds, Black Gram, Asafoetida, Green Chilies, Curry Leaves
3. Add Boiled Potatoes
4. Add Red Chili Powder
5. Add Turmeric Powder
6. Add Salt
7. Mix Everything Together 
8. Add Coriander Leaves
9. Make the Stuffing as Roundels 
10. In a Separate Pan Add Oil for Frying
11. Take the Roundels And Dip in The Batter (Please Check Ingredients for Outer Layer)
12. Fry in the Hot Oil
13. Serve Hot with Coconut Chutney

Cook Easy Eat Healthy....:)

Chettinad Potato Fry

Ingredients:

1. Boiled Potatoes- 5 ( Medium Size)
2. Oil for frying and also for tempering
3. Chetinad Masala Powder- 3 Teaspoon
4. Salt- As Per Taste
5. Mustard Seeds- 1 Teaspoon
6. Cumin Seeds- 1 Teaspoon
7. Black Gram- 1 Teaspoon
8. Bengal Gram- 1 Teaspoon
9. Asafoetida- 1/4 teaspoon
10. Curry Leaves Finely Chopped- 1 Teaspoon
11. Coriander Leaves Finely Chopped- 1 Teaspoon
12. Lemon Juice- 1 Teaspoon
13. Sugar- 1/2 Teaspoon 

Chetinad Masala Powder:

1. Red Chilies- 5 nos
2. Pepper Corns- 1 Teaspoon
3. Cumin Seeds- 1/4 Teaspoon
4. Marathi Moogu- 3 nos
5. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 Teaspoon

( PLEASE NOTE: Add the above Ingredients in a Mixie Jar And Make it as a Fine Powder)

Recipe:

1. Deep Fry or shallow fry  all the Boiled Potatoes and keep it aside
2. In a separate pan add 1 teaspoon oil then add mustard, Black Gram, Bengal Gram, Asafoetida and Curry Leaves one by one
3. Now add the Fried Potatoes 
4. Then Add Chetinad Masala Powder
5. Then Add Salt
6. Add Sugar
7. Mix Everything without Breaking the potatoes
8. Add Lemon Juice
9. Add Coriander Leaves for Garnishing
10. Serve it With Any Mixed Rice

Cook Easy Eat Healthy....:)

Mint & Coriander Influenced Tomato Rice

Ingredients:

1. Mint Leaves- 1 Cup
2. Coriander Leaves- 1/2 Cup
3. Cooked Raw Rice- 2 Cups
4. Tomatoes- 2 Big in Size
5. Onion- 1 Big in Size
6. Ghee- 1 Teaspoon (optional)
7. Salt- As Per Taste
8. Red Chili Powder- 1 Teaspoon 

For Tempering:

1. Oil- 3 Teaspoons
2. Mustard- 1/2 Teaspoon
3. Bengal Gram- 1 Teaspoon
4. Black Gram- 1 Teaspoon
5. Cashew nuts- 5 nos
6. Finely Chopped Curry Leaves- 1/2 Teaspoon

Recipe:

1. Add Oil
2. Once the Oil Got Hot Add all the Ingredients given in Tempering
3. Add onion finely Chopped
4. Add Tomatoes finely Chopped
5. By Using Mint and Coriander Leaves Make a Paste and add to it
6. Add Red Chili Powder
7. Add Salt
8. Once the Oil Gets Separated add Rice
9. Add Some Chopped Coriander Leaves For Garnishing

Serve it With Crispy Chettinad Potato Fry....

Cook Easy Eat Healthy....:)

Stuffed Bitterguard

Ingredients:

1. Bitter guard- 8 Small in Size
2. Coconut Grated- 1 Cup
3. Red Chili Powder- 1 Teaspoon
4. Coriander Leaves- 1/4 Cup
5. Curry Leaves- 25 Grams
6. Cumin Seeds- 1 Teaspoon
7. Garlic- 5 Cloves
8. Rice Flour- 3 Teaspoon
9. Oil- For Frying
10. Salt- As Per Taste
11. Tamarind Water-1 Cup
12. Dry Mango Powder- 1 Teaspoon

Recipe:

For Stuffing:

1. In a Separate pan add 1/2 teaspoon Oil
2. Add Cumin Seed
3. Add Garlic Seed
4. Add Curry Leaves
5. Add Grated Coconut
6. Add Red Chili Powder
7. Add Dry Mango Powder 
8. Salt
9. Coriander Leaves
10. Grind everything as Fine Powder
11. Do Not Add Water

For Frying:

1. Peel the Skin of Bitter Guard
2. Make a Slit in Bitter Guard and De-seed it
3. Soak it in Tamarind Water For 1 Hour
4. Par Boil the Bitter Guard
5. Stuff the Powder in Bitter Guard
6. Mix Water and Rice Flour and make it as thin Batter
7. Roll the Stuffed Bitter Guard in Rice Flour Mixture
8. Fry it in the Oil

Serve Hot!!!!!

Cook easy eat Healthy....:)

Chettinad Soup

Ingredients:

1. Carrot-1 Medium
2. Cabbage- 1 Cup
3. Beans- 10 in Numbers
4. Onion- 1 Medium Size
5. Tomato Puree- 1 Cup
6. Garlic- 7 Cloves
7. Coriander Leaves- 1 Cup
8. Coconut Milk- 1 Cup
9. Chettinad Masala Powder- 2 Teaspoon
10. Oil- 1 Teaspoon
11. Salt- As per Taste
12. Vegetable Stock- 3 Cup

Chettinad Masala Powder:

1. Red Chilies-10 in Numbers
2. Star Anise-3 in Numbers
3. Nutmeg-2 in Numbers
4. Dry Ginger-1 Teaspoon
5. Cumin-1 Teaspoon
6. Coriander Seeds-1 Teaspoon
7. Cloves-4 in Numbers
8. Cinnamon-2 in Numbers
9. Asafoetida-1 Teaspoon

Dry Roast Everything and Grind it Very Well

Recipe:

1. Par Boil Cabbage,Carrot&Beans
2. Take the Excess Water  From Boiled Vegetables as Vegetable Stock
3. Add Oil In a Separate Pan
4. Add Onion
5. Add Garlic
6. Wait till Transparent Color
7. Add Tomato Puree
8. Mix Well
9. Add Chettinad Masala Powder
10. Add Salt
11. Add Vegetable Stock
12. Make Sure the Consistency Should be Very Thin
13. Add Coconut Milk
14. Add Coriander Leaves

Serve Hot!!!!!

Cook easy eat Healthy.....:)  

Vegetable Spring Roll

Ingredients:
For Outer Layer:

1. Wheat Flour- 1 Cup
2. Rice Flour- 1 Tablespoon
3. Pepper Powder- 1 Teaspoon
4. Salt- As Per Taste
5. Oil-1 Teaspoon
6. Water- For Kneading the Dough

For stuffing:

1. Onion- 1 Medium size
2. Cabbage- 1 Cup
3. Carrot- 1 Medium size
4. Beans- 6 to 7 in numbers
5. Garlic- 6 Cloves
6. Soya Sauce- 1 Teaspoon
7. Red Chili Powder- 1& 1/2 Teaspoon
8. Pepper Powder- 1 Teaspoon
9. Salt- 1 Teaspoon
10. Sugar- 1/2 Teaspoon

Recipe:

1. Par Boil Cabbage,Carrot&Beans
2. Knead the Dough 
3. Add Oil
4. Add Onion
5. Add Garlic 
6. Wait till Transparent Color Comes in that
7. Add  Par Boiled Vegetables
8. Add Soya sauce
9. Add Red Chili Powder
10. Add Pepper Powder
11. Add Salt
12. Add Sugar
13. Mix Well
14. Make Sure that there is no water in Stuffing
15. Now Roll the Dough like Roties 
16. Add the Stuffing in the Middle
17. Close From the Right Side First
18. Close From the Left Side First
19. Roll From the Top to Bottom
20. Make a Thick Batter Of Rice Flour and Water
21. Dip the Roll in the Batter Lightly
22. Fry it in the Oil

Serve Hot!!!!!!

Cook easy eat Healthy....:)