Pilafi me Saltsa Domata (Rice with tomato sauce)
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If you’ve ever eaten at a Greek-American diner in your day, you’ve likely seen this sauce. It often comes on top of rice, whether you order a chicken kabob or a gyro. It’s a thin tomato-based sauce that is really simple but strangely addictive. We never made this at home for some reason (at least, not on its own), and I never managed to really get much of a recipe from a family member (nor was/am I interested in attempting to scale down a recipe that serves a restaurant), so I’ve been making this myself and tweaking it here and there. I don’t know what it is about this stuff but I want to eat it all the time.
This is often served with rice that has been cooked in broth or bouillon. I like using brown rice most of the time, and I hate cooking it the “regular” way so what I do when I want brown rice to get some added flavor from broth without straying from my tried and true brown rice method is either to bake it or to boil it in a pot of water for about 15 minutes, and then put the drained rice in a saucepan with broth (at that point, roughly half of what you would have used had you made the rice according to package directions), and cook normally.
You could, of course, make this with fresh tomatoes, but they aren’t really that great here yet (and I made this a few weeks ago, anyway). Canned tomatoes work really well, so don’t fret. You don’t really use much sauce per serving, so this will make quite a few servings, but we just freeze extras in a few small freezer bags to use at another time (which is also why you are seeing two different pictures. :)) My favorite way to have this is over both rice and grilled chicken/kabobs. With feta on the side, obviously.
Pilafi me Saltsa Domata (Rice with tomato sauce)
Ingredients
- 1.5 Tbsp. butter
- 1.5 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, cored and quartered
- 1/16 tsp. (a dash) cinnamon
- a few shakes of ground cloves
- 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- Hot cooked rice, for serving
Directions
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, and then stir in the garlic, sauteing until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the tomatoes (with liquid), cinnamon, cloves, parsley, and a little salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Use an immersion blender or food processor to pulse the liquid until smooth, and then pour it through a strainer, using a spatula to push through. Pour the strained sauce back into the saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat slightly, letting the sauce simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until reduced and thickened slightly (this is not a thick sauce, you just want it to be thicker than the strained version). Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and sugar.
- Serve over hot cooked rice and/or proteins.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen this at the Greek places we’ve been to. But I’m not much of a rice person in general, so maybe I just didn’t notice?
I’m going to have to ask the.boy if he’s ever had this, though he doesn’t like rice so I’m not sure how helpful he’ll be! I love the flavors in that sauce.
I love this recipe, it’s perfect. I’ve searched all over for this, since I’ve enjoyed it so much over the years at my favorite restaurant. It’s the perfect side to Spinach Pie…
Thank you for posting it!
So glad you liked it, Paul!
Hi!
Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I am currently cooking this recipe right now !
I didn’t have an whole plum tomatoes on hand so I’m using crushed.
Hopefully this doesnt make too much of a difference.
You should be fine! It’s a thin sauce, and as long as you strain it, it should be the same with pretty much any kind of tomato. Hope you like it!
Oh, you’re wonderful for posting this! I’ve missed this for years, having grown up in Southeast Michigan where you can find plenty of Greek-American diners. I’ll try it out today!
OMG yes, I also live in Michigan and used to eat this at my fav greek restaurant all the time until they closed and I haven’t been able to find it anywhere. I can’t wait to try this.
I too lived in Michigan and my favorite Greek place was located at 12 Mile Rd and VanDyke.They also served a thin tomato sauce over a bed of rice and shishkabob. It saddened me when they closed their doors. Been craving this sauce and trying to duplicate it for years. I will be trying this recipe today. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Nancy! Small world…I grew up near 12 Mile Rd and Schoenherr. The name of the Greek diner was the Grecian Palace located in Tech Plaza. Oh, how I lived that little diner. They had such great food! I loved their red sauce over the rice with shish kebab and Greek salad. I’m going to try her recipe, too. Another great little Greek diner called Telly’s was located on Van Dyke between 13 Mile and 14 Mile. They’re no longer open either. They had the best malted pancakes. Then, of course, there’s Greektown downtown Detroit. Fond memories and great restaurants there, too.
OMG I went there all the time growing up!! I live at 11/Van Dyke! I miss Grecian Palace also! At 9/Harper there is Athenian and they are delicious as well. What a small world!
I live in Michigan too! I have searched and searched for this sauce, and I am so excited to try making it! My grandparents’ neighbors they had across the canal from them when I was a kid on Grosse Ile, they used to make this, but I was far too young to remember the process of making it. My favorite Greek restaurant is Golden Fleece in Greektown in downtown Detroit, they always serve this over their rice and I crave it so often!
thank you for sharing this!
OMG I remember that little restaurant in the old Tech Plaza Shopping Center. So good. I tried this sauce, yum!
Yes this! I’ve been craving some
Greek town rice and tomato sauce. Came here JUST for this recipe. Can’t wait to try it
Omg this was great and so what I’ve been looking for. Thanks for sharing. Will make again.
So glad you liked it, LeeAnn!
Elly, THANK YOU for this recipe- it’s awesome! I have been searching for it, because the closest Greek restaurant doesn’t serve it. This is the real deal, and the only recipe for it that was right 🙂
Awesome, Amy, so glad to hear it!
I have been looking for this recipe for so long!!🙏🏼 Thank you for posting.
In my fav Greek restaurants the sauce has been cooked in with potatoes, have you ever tried it this way. Or is that different type of sauce?
Hi Linda! I cook potatoes with tomatoes too, but usually alongside other things. I have a recipe for peas and most of the time I throw a cut up potato to it (http://ellysaysopa.com/2015/08/03/mpizeliarakas-kokinisto-greek-peas-in-tomato-sauce/) and also for chicken and potatoes (http://ellysaysopa.com/2009/06/12/kota-kokinisti-me-patates/).
We lived in Massachusetts and we went to a Greek restaurant that served this type of rice. We moved out of state and tomorrow I am cooking a Greek dinner for everyone and they asked for this type of rice. I am so glad that I was able to find a recipe for it.
Do you have a recipe for souvlaki?
Hi Marilyn. This is my standard marinade for shish kabob or souvlaki – http://ellysaysopa.com/2007/03/14/elly-is-still-saying-opa/
This was a very lovely, fragrant recipe that pairs well with jasmine rice. Growing up around many Greek families, I’d never had this until I moved to Kansas City, where many of the Mediterranean restaurants here serve this sauce over rice and it’s wonderful! We thought that the sauce completely strained was missing something however and added part of the puree back in and found it perfect. Thanks for the recipe – we both enjoyed it!
So excited to try this today with our Greek dinner. Can this be made ahead of time? Does it freeze well? Thanks !
I freeze it all the time!
Hoping this is the one I’m looking for.
Yes Yes thanks going to make this today.I am sure it will be great after reading the comments on the bottom.I myself, also new all the restaurants and the owners of these restaurants. I do remember them throwing cinnamon sticks in the sauce though, only because they made lg. pots of it at a time, thanks again: former Chef of the area for 45 years
Hi, not complaining about your recipe at all but I’ve never heard of not using lamb, that’s what gives it that special taste. I’ve had Greek rice my whole life from a restaurant here in Massachusetts and have a Greek friend who I met in 8th grade and her family has a Greek restaurant not ten minutes from the one I grew up on. They also make the sauce with lamb, it gets cooked with the meat. I don’t eat lamb but I love the sauce. They also use it on orzo and spaghetti! It’s so good, I wish you could try it. I will definitely try your recipe because it sounds good.
This sauce was EXACTLY like the one served in most Greek restaurants in Detroit. Thank you for sharing. Enjoyed every bite!
Perfection!!!!!!!!