Fresh juicy tomatoes are an integral part of my kitchen and the sweet-tangy flavor of the tomatoes is something irresistable. Almost every other day tomatoes are used in my cooking …sliced and drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper or with sandwiches or as a hot soup.And, of course,it goes without saying that most Indian curries and ‘rasam’ are incomplete without fresh tomatoes.
Pachadis are prepared with most vegetables and serve as a cross between a relish and a curry and no South Indian meal is complete without a pachadi. Pachadis are thick,lightly cooked,seasoned with spices,low fat and healthy. Tomato pachadi is tempered with mild Indian spices and garnished with fresh coriander leaves.
I had earlier posted a similar Andhra pachadi prepared with egg plant/brinjal,Vankaaya Pachadi,which is cooked on the same lines as tomato pachadi.Tamarind pulp is an essential ingredient in preparing most pachadis as it imparts a tangy-sour flavour to the pachadis but tomato pachadi is prepared without the tamarind pulp as tomatoes already have a tangy flavour.
Ingredients:
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 3/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 10 curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp urad dal(split black gram)
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 green chillis slit length wise
- 1 tsp chopped ginger
- chopped coriander leaves for garnish
- salt
- 1 tbsp oil
Slice an “X” on the bottom of each tomato with a knife and place them in boiling water for 2 mts and remove them into a bowl of cold water so that the skin will easily peel.Once peeled mash the tomato pulp and keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan.Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add the cumin seeds and black gram dal and let them fry for a few seconds till brown.
Now add the curry leaves,chopped onions,ginger and green chillis and fry till transparent for 3-4 mts.Dont brown it.
Now add the mashed tomato pulp and salt.Mix well.Let it cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Turn off heat and garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.
Serve with hot rice or rotis.
Health Benefits of Tomatoes:
According to ayurveda, tomato is sour, warm, a stimulant, an appetiser, laxative, anti-flatulent with curative effects in low-appetite, controlling excessive fat and blood impurities. It also cures piles, jaundice, weakness and fever and prevents constipation. Tomato is a good source of iron,potassium, B- carotene (vitamin A) and vitamin C.It is very low in calories and is an important food in weight reducing diets and with less carbohydrate content makes it a good vegetable or fruit for diabetics and weight watchers. Lycopene, a very powerful antioxidant,is present in tomatoes and has been found to be beneficial in preventing prostate cancer.
Next south-indian-recipes
