Tomato is typically a fruit; however, it is most commonly consumed as well as used as a vegetable. Its scientific name is Solanum Lycopersicum and it originated in South America. They are consumed raw as well as in cooked form. In India, tomatoes form the base of a huge chunk of culinary preparations be it traditional curries, dals salads, chutneys and much more. Not just in India, tomatoes form the base for countless recipes internationally as well.
Consumption of tomatoes is worldwide and is easily one of the commonest ingredients in all household kitchens. The tart taste of tomatoes is not the only reason for their consumption, they even have a number of health benefits.
Here are a few healthy tomato recipes that are easy and can reap maximum health benefits.
Pizza Sauce
Who does not enjoy pizza? Often pizzas are disapproved because of it being junk food that is mass-produced with potential health hazards. But when you feel indulgent, we all know the pizza craving will not go away.
It is a known fact that pizza sauce is the key to a delicious pizza. So you can skip the preservatives and canned or packaged pizza sauces and make your own healthy version of pizza sauce. So pizzas won’t make you feel that guilty!
Ingredients:
Tomatoes: 5-6
Onion: 2pcs
Garlic: 10-12 cloves
Process: In a heated pan add some olive oil, add some finely chopped garlic and let it cook till the raw smell goes away. Now to this add finely chopped onions and slow cook till they turn translucent. Once the onions and garlic are cooked, add finely chopped tomatoes and add salt and slowly cooked until it completely turns mushy. This might take a longer duration but slow cooking will bring out the best results. Turn off the flame and add your oregano and chilli flakes along with little vinegar. You can add more olive oil to adjust the consistency of the pizza sauce.
Tomato Chokha
This dish is native to Northern India and can be easily prepared and taste delicious with its tart yet spicy flavour.
Ingredients:
Tomatoes: 5-6
Green Chillies: 2-3
Garlic: 3-4 cloves
Process: Simply roast the tomatoes and chillies and garlic on direct flame till the skin has black spots, take care not to burn them completely. Once they are well roasted and have a smoky flavour, you peel the skin of the tomatoes, chillies as well as garlic.
Now roughly chop them all and combine them together. Add some salt according to taste. The final touch is to top it over with a generous helping of mustard oil. Serve with Litti, Rice or as a side dish with your meal.
Tomato Chutney
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: ½ tbsp
Curry Leaves: 10-12
Tomato: 5-6 pcs finely chopped
Garlic: 2-3 pods
Ginger: 1 tsp grated
Red Chilly Powder: 1tbsp
Vinegar: 1 tbsp
Process: To a hot pan add olive oil, mustard seeds, and curry leaves. Once they crackle add the tomatoes with red chilly powder and salt. Slow cook on low flame till the tomatoes turn mushy. Turn the flame off and add 1 tbsp vinegar and cool and store under refrigeration.
Tomato rasam
Tomato rasam is the perfect humble yet comfort food that can be freshly prepared piping hot and indulged with steaming hot rice or on its own.
Ingredients:
Rasam Powder: 2 tbsp (or as needed)
Toor Dal: 2tbsp
Tomatoes: 5-6 made into fresh pulp
Tamarind: Soaked in hot water
Turmeric powder: 1 pinch
Hing: 1 pinch
Coconut oil: for tempering
Fresh Coriander: A bunch
Process: Pressure cook toor dal and whisk. Boil the tomatoes and make them into a pulp. Add the tomato pulp and tamarind water to the boiled dal. Now add salt, and turmeric powder and allow to boil for 3-4 minutes.
For the tempering of the rasam, heat the coconut oil, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and hing. Once everything crackles, add the tempering to the boiled mixture. Now add rasam powder and allow it to boil for at least 7-10 minutes. Finally, garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander. Serve hot with rice.
Tomato Soup
Imagine a cold winter night, a warm bowl of tomato soup feels like a warm hug! Tomato soup is everything you need in a comfort meal which is wholesome, healthy and tasty too. Here is the recipe for a tomato soup
Ingredients:
Fresh tomatoes: 4 large
Fresh cream: 1 tbsp
Pepper powder: 1 pinch
Process:
Boil the tomatoes and cool them. Once cooled, simply churn the tomatoes into a liquid consistency using a mixer or hand blender. Now add 1tbsp of olive oil or ghee in a pot and add the tomato puree into it. Let it boil and cook for a while, now simply add some salt and pepper and add fresh cream to add richness to the soup. This step can be skipped as well. Serve hot!
When looking for a tangy, tart mouth-watering dish, tomatoes will never fail you. There are loads of recipes using tomatoes that can be delicious as well as healthy. So go ahead and look after yourself and tickle your taste buds with tomatoes.
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