Instant Tomato Chutney

When RP of My workshop announced that the ingredient for the event "Jihva For Tomatoes" for the month of March was Tomatoes, I was pleased. What a fitting tribute to this humble vegetable to give it the spotlight at the beginning of spring when tomatoes are in abundance. And what's not to love about these red babies. They are rich in lycophene and are nutritious in any form.
And not to mention that there are a huge number of dishes that you can make with tomatoes! Read more about the magic of tomatoes here.

I had many a dishes in mind, but thanks to work, birthdays and other events in my life I had to scale down to this simple yet lip-smacking dish. Instant Tomato Chutney - a chutney so yummy and so easy to make. A tribute to my grandmother who taught me how to make this delicious dish.

Instant Tomato Chutney

You will need:

6 to 7 Tomatoes - Wash and Chop fine

3 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Methi Seeds (Fenugreek Seeds)

a few curry leaves

Salt to taste

For seasoning:

5 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Urad Dal

a pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)

Method:

Wash the tomatoes and chop fine. Keep aside. In a pan, toast the methi seeds without any oil. When they splutter remove form the heat. Transfer to a coffee grinder or a mortar and make a fine powder of the toasted methi seeds when cool. Keep aside.

In a pan , heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the hing, urad dal and curry leaves. Then add the chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. On medium heat cook the tomato mixture stirring in between until all the water from the tomatoes evaporates. Oil will leave the sides of the pan when all the water evaporates. Finally, add the methi powder and mix well. Cool and store in an airtight container.

This chutney keeps upto a week when refrigerated. You can serve this chutney with Rice, Chapathis, Dosa, Idli or even as a spread on bread!

Tomato Chutney Served on Whole Wheat Toast

This is my entry for the Jihva For Tomatoes event hosted by RP of MY Workshop.