Middle Eastern Fried Tomato Rice is one of my favorite vegetarian recipes – it is quick and easy to prepare and cook. It is also full of gorgeous ingredients like zucchini, raisins, yogurt and mint. You will love this recipe if you try it!
To make this, start by cooking onion in a skillet. Add garlic and chili flakes before stirring in tomatoes, and butter. Simmer until thick and fragrant before adding raisins and cooked tomato sauce to the rice. Arrange slices of zucchini around the base of a buttered pan. Add the rice mixture and press it down to compress. Cover and cook until the rice is toasting. Place the rice cake on a plate. Mix yogurt, cumin and pinch of salt together in a small jug or bowl. To serve, drizzle the yogurt mixture over the rice. Garnish the rice with herbs and a drizzle of oil.
To make Middle Eastern Fried Tomato Rice, you will need the following ingredients:
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Fry the onion gently until the onion is soft and slightly translucent.
Add 2 cloves of garlic and ¼ teaspoon of chili flakes to the pan with the onions. Stir in a can of tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of butter. Season to taste with salt. Simmer the tomatoes with the lid on for 15 minutes.
When the tomato sauce is thick and fragrant, add 2 tablespoons of raisins and cooked tomato sauce to the rice. Stir well with a spoon or spatula and taste to adjust seasoning.
Grease a small, non-stick pan with the rest of the butter. Place the ½ a sliced zucchini around the base of the pan.
Spoon the rice and tomato mixture on top of the zucchini slices. Use the back of a large spoon to compress the rice mixture.
Cover the pan with a lid or foil and place in the oven to cook for 8-10 minutes until you smell the rice toasting.
Once the rice is cooked, remove from the oven and twist the rice ‘cake’ gently to loosen it from the bottom of the pan. Place a large plate on top of the pan and flip it over so that the rice cake slides out of the pan.
Combine ½ a cup of yogurt with a pinch each of cumin and salt.
Serve the rice garnished with herbs and drizzled with the dressing and the remaining oil.
This Middle Eastern Fried Tomato Rice couldn’t be quicker and easier to make. It makes an absolutely delicious vegetarian dinner. Come back to leave a review with your thoughts if you make this delicious rice cake.
Superb! Loved it!
Delicious! Loved it!
This Middle Eastern Fried Tomato Rice is a total winner! My fam loved it. I whipped it up last weekend for a cozy dinner, and the mix of flavors was just yum. Super easy to make, and the mint on top is a game changer, trust me.
Superb flavors here!
Superb
Superb! This dish reminded me of my childhood, as my mom would cook something similar. I love how easy and flavorful it is. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal!
Delicious
This Middle Eastern Fried Tomato Rice is proper lush, mate! It’s dead easy to whip up, and the taste? Oh wow! I made it for mates last weekend, and they couldn’t get enough. The combo of the spices and the yogurt drizzle is just magic. Will defo make again!
Great recipe! Thanks for sharing!