Tomato Rice with Soya Chunks

Its been really busy the last couple of days as my mom is here for a really short time. I am trying to spend as much time as possible with her and trying to get some traditional recipes too :) I am really sorry if I am not able to comment on all the posts, but will be back with some great recipes next week, some that my mom made. In the mean time, I would like to repost this rice recipe for the JFI event, hosted by Sharmi, and who very sweetly allowed me to send this as an entry although it was already posted before. Thanks Sharmi!

Yesterday was a lazy day for me...for some reason I was just not in the mood for elaborate cooking, so I turned towards one of my favourite comfort foods, 'Tomato Rice'. This easy to make rice is my mom's recipe. She used to make this very often and used to add this special ingredient which I really grew to love-- 'Soya chunks' or 'Nutrinuggets' as we used to call them. They are healthy, full of protein and go very well with rice. This rice recipe soon became a favorite with my friends too. Every time we had a sleepover and we were cooking together, 'Tomato Rice with Soya chunks' would always be on the menu. After I got married, I introduced it to my husband, and now he is also a big fan.
I normally use Nutrela for this recipe. Sometimes I find that people are not comfortable with the whole chunks in the rice. Simple solution would be to soak them, and then chop them into little pieces before adding them to the rice. Alternatively, you can use readymade Soy Granules. This is an extremely tasty and filling dish. Pair it off with some 'Boondi Raita' and you have a quick and satisfying meal for those lazy weekdays or weekends, where you just want to sit back and relax!

Ingredients: (serves 2)
Basmati rice 1 1/4 cups
Onion chopped into slices 1 medium sized
Chopped Tomato 1 big or 2 small
Garlic clove finely chopped 1
Chopped Cilantro couple of sprigs
Green chilli slit into half lengthwise 1
Soya chunks soaked in water for at least 25- 30 mins
Black peppercorns 3-4
Garam Masala 1 tsp
Cayenne Pepper 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil 1 tbsp
Water 2 1/2 cups

Method:

Soak the Soya chunks in water for at least 20 -25 minutes. Wash the rice and keep aside. In a pressure cooker pan, heat the oil. Once the oil is ready, add the black peppercorns to it. Fry for a minute or so and then add the chopped onions. Fry till they turn translucent and then add the chopped garlic. Next go in the chopped tomatoes and cilantro. Once the tomatoes are cooked a little, mix in the washed rice. Fry the rice till it turns slightly pinkish in colour. Make sure to keep stirring, or else it will burn. Now add water to this. To make such kind of rice/pulav, always add water exactly double the quantity of rice. This way, you will always have well cooked rice without it getting mushy due to extra water. Now add the soya chunks, salt, cayenne pepper and garam masala (You can finely mince the soya chunks and add if you don't like the texture). Throw in the green chilli halves. Mix well and put on the pressure cooker lid. Cook for 2 whistles. Enjoy hot with a raita of your choice!