Nasi Tomato is going to be your new favourite rice dish! Basmati rice, rich tomato base, fragrant spices… this is the kind of side dish that shows up late to the party and still steals the spotlight!
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
What is Nasi Tomato?
To me, and certainly my recipe, nasi tomato is a pimped up version of our nasi minyak. The same fat and spices, but with a little more sass.
No, it’s not just rice that’s bumped into a can of tomatoes. We’re talking about a rich, fragrant, spiced-up rice dish that’s earned its place at the centre of any kenduri spread.
kenduri = feast at a religious ceremony
This isn’t your average weeknight side. Nasi tomato is a statement.
Nasi tomato – literally tomato rice – is a beloved dish in Malay cuisine, known for its vibrant colour, subtle spice, and layered flavour. It’s traditionally served at weddings, religious celebrations, and festive family gatherings, often paired with showstoppers like ayam masak merah or other curries.
While it may sound like a simple rice dish, it’s far from plain. The secret is in the aromatics: sautéed onions, garlic, and ginger form the tomato flavour base, joined by a medley of spices – think star anise, cardamom, and cloves. Then comes the coconut milk or evaporated milk for richness.
Intrigued? Stick with me.
Where Does Nasi Tomato Come From?
Nasi tomato is deeply rooted in Malay culinary traditions, with Indian and Middle Eastern influences evident in its use of spices and fragrant rice. It’s a classic example of how Malaysian cuisine layers cultural inspiration with local ingredients to create something uniquely its own.
While not everyday fare, it’s the kind of dish that brings people together – served in big trays, scooped generously, and always accompanied by something saucy and bold. But hey, that doesn’t mean you can cook it on a Wednesday. Or Monday. 😉
The Recipe
It’s pretty straighforward, and yes, you can make this Singaporean and Malaysian tomato rice in a rice cooker. I’ll include the instructions in the recipe card below. Purists might raise an eyebrow, but we’re not here to impress the rice police.
This is what we’ll be doing:
- Prep work – rinse rice, chop stuff, etc.
- Toast the spices in hot ghee (or oil), add ground aromatics.
- Add tomato paste and ketchup, followed by everything else.
- Simmer for 25 minutes. Done.
Nasi Tomato Ingredients
This Singaporean and Malaysian tomato rice uses the most basic of ingredients. The only possible difficulty you may have is getting hold of pandan leaves, depending on where you are. Let’s quickly take a look at what I’m using:
- Rice: basmati rice is the most popular option for many people. But jasmine rice works beautifully too.
- Tomato: the tomato flavour in this recipe is obtained from a combination of concentrated tomato paste and the good old tomato ketchup.
As a point of interest, tomato paste is also called tomato purée in some parts of the world; that’s what I grew up calling it. - Fat: traditionally, this would have been the simple vegetable oil. But just like nasi minyak, ghee was adopted to add creamy richness over the years. But not everyone uses ghee, some stick to oil, while others even use butter.
- Spices: I’m using standard spices here – cardamom, star anise, cinnamon and cloves – exactly as in our nasi minyak.
One other spice I also use that most (if not all) don’t, is turmeric. A touch of ground turmeric just takes this nasi tomato to another level. - Aromatics and Herbs: we’ve got the usual onion, garlic, ginger, plus lemongrass and pandan leaves. The first 4 are easily found in most parts of the world.
Pandan leaves, if not common where you are, can be found in East and South East Asian stores, and also online. My local Korean and Thai shops both stock them fresh, which is great for me. - Evaporated Milk: everyone I know uses evaporated milk to cook nasi tomato. I’ve heard the odd makcik (auntie) at food stalls saying they use coconut milk. Let me tell you though, the 2 give you 2 different end results in terms of flavour.
But if you want to make this a vegan tomato rice then go ahead, or leave the milk out altogether.
The Toppings/Garnish
Crispy fried shallots are a common finish for so many rice and noodle dishes in Asia. And that’s what we do here.
You can also finish your rice off with some chopped coriander leaves (cilantro).
Nuts and Raisins in Tomato Rice
Many many people will cook their nasi tomato with cashew nuts and raisins added to the rice while it’s cooking. But as I mention in my YouTube video of this recipe, my kids don’t like bits in their rice.
So what I do, is take a leaf out of my Persian recipes (click to find them on LinsFood) and toast the nuts and raisins in a little ghee just to add a little more flavour. This also plumps up the raisins while caramelising the natural sugar in them. You need to try it! And my Persian recipes!
How to Serve this Tomato Rice?
This rice doesn’t just sit quietly on the side. It expects to be noticed. So what to eat with nasi tomato? With an equally bold partner.
Most commonly, it’s paired with ayam masak merah, a spiced, slightly sweet tomato-based chicken dish. But I personally think the two are too similar in caharcter and prefer to serve this easy tomato rice recipe with other local curries and side.
My favourites include:
- Beef rendang
- Chicken rendang
- Fried chicken
- Acar (pickled vegetables)
- Cucumber slices
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Sambal belacan for a fiery kick
If you’re hosting, serve it buffet-style with all the trimmings. If you’re just making it for yourself (because you can), leftovers the next day are even better. It’s not just for special occasions. I make it for my kids all the time.
Vegan Nasi Tomato
This is easily done. The only offending ingredients here are the ghee and evaporated milk. So all you do is use vegetable oil instead of ghee and coconut milk instead of evaporated milk. Vegan ghee is also easily available in some parts of the worl, like here in the UK, if you want to try that.
You could even use olive oil if you like, and that can be extra virgin or light. The former will impart a little of its own taste to your vegan tomato rice, while the latter will keep to its own devices.
And you know what you could also do, if you swing that way? Turn this nasi tomato into tomato quinoa. Just sub the rice for quinoa and cook it as usual.
How Long Will It Keep in the Fridge?
Nasi tomato will keep beautifully in the fridge for up to 3 days, as long as it’s stored in an airtight container. Just make sure it cools fully before you stash it away.
To reheat, splash a little water over it and microwave covered, or warm it gently on the hob. The flavours deepen overnight, so don’t be surprised if tomorrow’s rice tastes even better than today’s.
You can also freeze it, though the texture might suffer a little. If you go this route, reheat it straight from frozen with a bit of water to revive it.
There you go.
Nasi tomato is more than just a festive rice dish – it’s a local classic with real personality. Bold, fragrant, and unashamedly vibrant, it’s the kind of dish that turns a simple meal into a full-blown occasion.
Whether you’re making it for a family feast, a celebration, or just because you’re craving something a little extra, this rice is ready to bring the drama.
Make it soon, let me know how it went and what you served it with.
Don’t forget to post it on Instagram and tag me @azlinbloor.
I’ll see you soon!
Lin xx
Nasi Tomato Recipe (Lightly Spiced and Aromatic Tomato Rice)
Ingredients
- 400 g basmati rice
- 2 Tbsp ghee can be substituted with butter or vegetable oil
- ½ Tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Aromatics
- 1 large onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 5 cm ginger
- 1 lemongrass bruised
- 2 pandan leaves tied together
Spices
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 4 cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
Liquids & Sauces
- 5 Tbsp concentrated tomato paste (also called tomato purée in some countries)
- 3 Tbsp tomato ketchup
- 650 ml water
- 60 ml evaporated milk
Toppings/Garnish
- cashew nuts or almonds
- raisins
- crispy fried shallots
- chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) – optional
- sliced boiled eggs or strips of omelette (optional)
Instructions
Prep Work
- Rinse the basmato rice until the watr runs clear-ish. Set aside.
- Peel and roughly chop the onion and add to a food chopper. Do the same with the garlic and ginger. Then chop to a smooth paste. No food chopper? chop everything up finely.
- Bruise your lemongrass. Read more here, on how to bruise lemongrass.
- Weigh out all your other ingredients, ready to go.
Lets Get Cooking
- Heat the ghee in a saucepan on medium heat and when hot, toast the whole spices for 30 seconds.
- Tip in the ground aromatics (onion, garlic, ginger), lemongrass and turmeric and fry for 7 minutes until you get a lovely aroma off it. If it’s browning, reduce the heat.
- Now add the tomato paste and tomato ketchup and stir to mix it all up.
- Tip in the rice, stir a couple of times just to coat the rice with all that tomato goodness.
- Pour in the water and evaporated milk and stir well.
- Tie the 2 pandan leaves into a knot and drop into the rice, pushing them diwn with the ladle.
- Bring everything to a simmer on medium heat, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 25 minutes until the rice is done. Take it off the hib and leave to rest for 5 minutes
- Now fluff the rice with a fork, and lose the pandan leaves. Serve as suggested above.