Tag: tiffin ideas

Lunch & Dinner

Tomato Rice – Tangy, Spicy, and One-Pot Comfort

Puspa


🍅 When All You Have Are Tomatoes, Make Magic

Some days, you just need a plate of flavored rice that speaks louder than any curry.
Tomato Rice is that dish — spiced, tangy, and so full of South Indian flavor, you don’t need anything else on the side (but maybe a papad or some curd).

It’s quick, pantry-friendly, and a tiffin-box favorite for a reason.


🛒 What You’ll Need (Serves 2–3):

1 cup cooked rice (preferably cooled)

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 small onion, sliced

1–2 green chilies, slit

1 tsp ginger (grated or paste)

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp urad dal (optional)

1 sprig curry leaves

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp red chili powder

Salt to taste

1½ tbsp oil or ghee

Fresh coriander for garnish




🍚 How to Make It – Quick, Tangy & Flavor-Packed

1. Temper It Right

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, let them splutter.
Add urad dal, curry leaves, green chilies, and ginger. Sauté for a minute.

2. Cook the Masala

Add onions and cook till soft.
Add tomatoes, turmeric, chili powder, and salt. Cook until tomatoes are mushy and oil starts to separate.

3. Mix the Rice

Add the cooked rice and gently mix till the masala coats every grain.
Cook for 2–3 minutes on low. Garnish with coriander.

4. Serve It Warm

With curd, papad, or just as it is!



❤️ Why Tomato Rice Is a Pantry Hero

Quick and budget-friendly

Great for leftover rice

One-pan, zero-fuss meal

Because some recipes just feel like home

Breakfast

Sooji Upma – A Quiet Bowl for Loud Mornings

Puspa

☀️ The Kind of Breakfast That Waits for You

I didn’t always love Upma.

As a kid, it felt plain. Too soft. Too everyday.
It didn’t have the bold crunch of paratha.
Or the color of poha.
Or the excitement of Sunday dosa.

But then I grew up.
And somewhere between rushed work calls and cold cups of tea, I found myself craving the comfort of a soft, warm bowl of Upma.

The kind with a little ghee.
A few crunchy peanuts.
And that smell — of roasted sooji and curry leaves — that hits just before the first spoon does.

🌾 What You’ll Need (Serves 2–3):

1 cup sooji / rava (semolina)

2–2½ cups water

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 small carrot, chopped (optional)

1–2 green chilies, slit

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp urad dal (optional, for crunch)

1 tsp chana dal (optional)

8–10 curry leaves

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Salt to taste

1–2 tbsp oil or ghee

Fresh coriander leaves

Lemon juice to finish




👩‍🍳 How to Make It – The Calm Way

1. Roast the Sooji
In a dry pan, roast the sooji on low till it smells toasty and turns slightly golden. Keep it aside — this step is key to non-sticky upma.


2. Temper the Morning Mood
Heat oil or ghee. Add mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves, green chilies, and hing. Sauté for a minute.


3. Add the Aromatics
Add onions (and carrots if using). Sauté till soft but not brown.


4. Add Water & Simmer
Pour in water. Add salt. Let it come to a gentle boil.


5. Bring in the Sooji
Lower the flame. Slowly add roasted sooji with one hand, stir continuously with the other. No lumps — just patience.


6. Steam & Serve
Cover for 1–2 minutes. Add coriander and a dash of lemon juice. Serve hot.





☕ Why I’ve Grown to Love It

Because it’s ready in 10 minutes.
Because it doesn’t shout — it just comforts.
Because it lets you pause without feeling guilty.
Because some days, a quiet bowl is all you need.