TOMATO PICKLE

TOMATO PICKLE

Tomatoes are available in plenty during winter. They can be used in preparing pickle and this will come handy throughout the year. Preparation is very simple, at the same time tasty also. Besides its normal usage along with the meals, it goes well with idli, dosa, etc.

Ingredients:
ripe, red and firm tomatoes-2kgs
chilly powder-3/4cup,
turmeric powder-1tsp(heap),
hing-1/2tsp,
methi seeds-3 tsps(dry roasted),
tamarind(i large lemon size),
salt-125gms,
gingely oil(til oil)-1 1/2 cups.


Method:
Wash and cut tomatoes to medium size pieces
Add the salt and keep overnight.
Next morning, squeeze the tomato pieces and dry them under the sun for a full day, by spreading them on a plastic sheet.
Soak tamarind in the tomato water(water left on squeezing tomato pieces), mash it well into the solution and keep it under the sun for the whole day.
Remove waste from the tamarind solution.
Grind the dried tomato pieces to a course texture, using the tamarind solution.
Powder half the quantity of methi seeds, keeping the rest of the portion as it is.
Heat til oil in a pan, add the ground tomatoes, chilly powder, turmeric powder, hing and the methi powder and cook till the oil starts separatng. Do not over-cook.
Remove from the flame and add the whole methi seeds, which were kept aside and mix well.
On cooling, store in an airtight glass bottle.
Start using it only after 10 days. (The methi seeds will get soaked in the pickle by that time. The seeds will not taste bitter).