Tangy Tomato Chutney

Would you believe me if I said that if you make this chutney and have a go at it, you will not stop licking your fingers? Yes, it’s true. If you’re like me and you love tangy chutneys, this one nails it. Like never before.

Tomato Chutney

“Knowledge is knowing that Tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”

Make Tomato chutney instead. Yumm-de-dumm.

Versatile. Easy to fix. Gets done in a jiffy. Tastes finger-licking-good too. And goes with pretty most anything. I’ve tried this with idlis. I’ve tried it with dosas and akki rotis, I’ve tried it with phulkas and paranthas. I’ve even tried mixing it with rice and made tomato rice. Just like that. Snap! Did I have you at the word go? Good. And sorry, I’m not talking much today. I’m still busy licking my fingers.

Tomato Pickle | Tomato Thokku

This one is from Daddy to you all. I’m posting it here on his behalf. Only the picture courtesy is yours truly, all other credit goes to him. He gave me the pickle long back, but since I hadn’t taken the recipe from him, I kept delaying posting it. This is a finger-licking-good pickle that you just cannot get enough of. Goes super well with piping hot rice, rasam rice, sambar rice, curd rice, paranthas, chappathis, rotis, idlis, dosas, akki rottis, sandwiches…OK, you get the drift, it goes with just anything! Go on, dip your finger in the picture and lick it!!

Ingredients:

• Lush red, juicy, ripe Tomatoes – 10-15 nos
• Ginger (optional) – 1″ long piece
• Garlic (optional) – 7-8 pods
• Chilli powder – 3-4 tbsps (alter to suit your taste)
• Jeera powder – 1 tsp
• Dhaniya powder – 1/2 tsp
• Methi/Fenugreek powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Mustard seeds – 2 tsps
• Asafoetida – more than a generous pinch
• Oil – 1/3rd cup

Procedure:

• Wash the tomatoes and clean dry them using a clean towel. Allow to air for another 15-20 minutes and then blend to a puree along with the ginger and garlic (if using) in the mixer. Set aside in a dry bowl. (By letting the tomatoes air before pureeing, you are ensuring there is no external moisture content, and hence, enhancing the life of your pickle).
• In a wok (preferably thick-bottomed), heat the oil. Add the asafoetida and pop the mustard seeds.
• Add the methi powder. Stir for a few seconds.
• Add the tomato puree and cook till mushy, stirring in between.
• Once the tomato is done cooking, add salt and stir well. Cook for another 2 minutes.
• Now, add the chilli powder, jeera powder and dhaniya powder. Cook on a low-medium flame till the oil separates from the pickle on the sides. Stir in between, every once in 5 minutes, to avoid the bottom of the wok from getting scorched.
• Once ready, the pickle should have the consistency of a semi-solid paste.
• Allow to cool and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. This should stay a good 15-20 days (if you don’t finish it before then!). If you do not store in the refrigerator, it might last about 3-4 days in hot weather, or maybe a little longer in cold weather.

Mix this pickle with piping hot rice and voila…you’ll have Tomato rice in a jiffy! Try it, and let me know.

I’m sending these yummy pickled gooseberries to ‘CWS: Cooking with Fenugreek‘ event guest-hosted at SE’s blog this month. The monthly ‘Cooking with seeds‘ event is Priya’s brainchild.