TOMATO PACHADI

 TOMATO PACHADI

I remember reading that tomatoes were brought to India in the 16th century by the Portuguese. These days, both in the South of India or in the North, we use tomatoes in so many dishes in our Indian cooking. Call it thakkakli in Tamizh or tamartar in Hindi, we find tomatoes used in almost every place that serves food- from the up market 5-star hotel to the common highway dhaba. 

Tomatoes have numerous health benefits as described in this article in Very Well Health.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with tomatoes, such as:-

• Tomato Saaru
• Tomato Kurma
• Tomato Thokku
• Tomato and Carrot Soup 

Today's recipe is for an easy to make Andhra-style Tomato Pachadi which goes well with our traditional breakfast of idl/dosa. I have adapted this from Tomato Pachadi from Swasthi's Indian Healthy Recipes.  

In case you wish to avoid the use of garlic, you can use 1/4 " piece of ginger instead at the time of grinding. 

We tried this out recently and enjoyed it with hot idlis for breakfast. 

Ingredients:-

• Tomatoes, medium-sized, 4 
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 4
• Chana Dal (Bengal Gram), 3/4 tbsp
• Urad Dal, (Black Gram), 3/4 tbsp 
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Garlic Cloves, 2
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tsp

For Tempering:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal, 1/2 tsp
• Hing, (Asafoetida), 1/8 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few 
• Dried Red Chilli, broken into halves, 1
• Oil, 1 and 1/2  tsp

Method:-

Wash and chop the tomatoes

Peel and chop the garlic

In a thick bottomed kadhai, heat 1 tsp of oil  and on medium heat roast the Byadgi red chillies, chana dal and urad dal until the dals change colour and the chillies become crisp

Add the cumin seeds and roast for a few seconds

Transfer to a plate and allow it to cool

Add the chopped garlic to the same kadhai and saute, to this add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt and mix well 

Cover and cook on medium heat till the soft become soft and mushy

Allow this to cool

In a mixer grind together the roasted chillies, urad dal, chana dal and cumin seeds on pulse mode till it gets crushed to a coarse powder

To this add the cooked tomatoes  and very little water and grind to get a chutney-like consistency

Check for salt and add if necessary. Transfer to a bowl

Heat oil in a seasoning pan and when it becomes hot add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the urad dal and saute till the dal turns golden

Add the hing, curry leaves and broken red chilli and saute for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning onto the Tomato Pachadi

Switch off the gas and transfer to serving bowl

Serve Tomato Pachadi with idlis or dosas