Tomato is a fruit available throughout the year. Tomatoes are so versatile and they are part of main dishes, appetizers, jams /jellies, and even pickles. Pickles are a major part of Indian cooking and Summer is a season of pickles. I usually make pickles with Mango and Lemon in the summer season. This time on a random conversation with Amma, she shared this Tomato pickle with me. It is very easy to make and tastes tangy too.
While this may look like thokku, there are many differences between them. The tomatoes are sundried to make this pickle, giving it a different taste and also increases the shelf life of this pickle. Sun-Drying tomatoes make evaporates most of the water content and bring in a sweet, tangy taste to it. Sun-drying also increases the lycopene content in tomatoes making them very healthy to eat. This tomato when combined with the spices, makes a great pickle. As always, follow the protocols when making this pickle – including the use of clean bowls and spoons and storing them in dry glass bottles.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes and pat them dry completely with a paper towel. Make two slits on top of the tomato.
- Pinch out tamarind and add them to the tomatoes along with the required salt.
- Cover with a cloth and sundry for 2-3 days. The tomatoes would have oozed out water and shrunk in size.
- Make a puree of this tomato. Roast half a teaspoon of mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Coarsely grind them. In a pan, add three tablespoons of gingelly oil and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add tomato puree.
- Add half a teaspoon of turmeric powder, red chilli powder and asafoetida powder. Cook until all the water content evaporates.
- Once they reduce in size, add the grounded mustard and fenugreek seeds powder.
- Turn off the stove once the pickle stops sticking to the pan. Allow it to cool down completely. Transfer to a clean, dry glass bottle.
Notes
- Always clean and dry the tomatoes before making this pickle.
- Use gingelly oil to get the best result. You can also use a combination of castor oil and gingelly oil.
- Sundry the tomatoes until they are shrunk. You can increase or decrease the number of days to sundry until this is achieved.