Buttery Tomato and Cinnamon-Spiced Rice
Persian-inspired rice (kateh gojeh farangi) where cinnamon softens tomatoes’ acidity for a sweet-savory flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste
- 2 medium tomatoes, halved, seeded, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups long-grain white rice (basmati or jasmine), rinsed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped cilantro, dill, or mint (for serving)
- plain whole-milk yogurt (for serving)
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium; cook onion until softened and golden, 8–10 minutes. Add garlic; season and cook until softened, ~5 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste; cook until darkened and starting to stick, ~3 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook until they burst and thicken, ~5 minutes.
- Add rice, cinnamon, and turmeric; cook until fragrant, ~30 seconds. Add 2¼ cups water; bring to a boil, cover, and steam on low 20–25 minutes.
- Remove from heat 10 minutes. Uncover, add butter, and fluff. Serve topped with herbs and dollops of yogurt.
