This is a sad story of some green tomatoes. I got these from my CSA and wanted to make a special chutney to take to my brother’s house in San Francisco, but I forgot to pack it in my checked luggage and the airport authorities took it away along with my tupperware that I am really attached to!! I got to enjoy it for a couple days before this unfortunate incident but my brother did not:(
Green tomatoes are usually present at the end of the season because they are the tomatoes that are having some trouble ripening. They don’t really taste good raw so you have to cook them. Usually people fry them, but I kind of wanted to go a healthier route so I made a chutney out of them and it came out quite well.
This recipe is dedicated to my lost tupperware – I miss you!
Ingredients1 tablespoon canola oil
4 green tomatoes, chopped
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon urad dal
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek
1/2 onion, chopped
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
8 green chilis (more or less to your taste)
water
1 bunch of basil leaves
handful of cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt
1 cup yogurt (or more to your taste)
Method
Heat oil in a pan under medium heat. Put in hing, cumin seed, mustard seed and shake up pan. Add in the urad dal. When the mustard seeds start to pop and the urad dal is turning golden, throw in the fenugreek seeds. Fry for a few seconds until they turn brown (if you fry these guys too much they taste super bitter). An alternative to frying these seeds is to roast them separately and powder them in a coffee grinder. You can then sprinkle this mixture when you throw in the tomatoes.
Throw in the onions and fry a few minutes. Mix in the turmeric and fry the onions until they are translucent. Mix in the garlic, ginger and chilis. Stir well and add in the tomatoes and salt. Cook the tomatoes until they are soft ~ 20 minutes. If the pan is dry, add in some water. You can also cover with a lid to cook faster.
Spoon the tomato mixture into a blender and puree with the basil, cilantro, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Add more chilis if you want it to be spicier. Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in yogurt to your taste.
Serve as a side with roti or rice.
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