I’d initially planned to write up some zucchini-related recipes, but when the weather changed so quickly, I decided I’d better get busy and start preparing the beds for my winter vegetables instead.

While I was out in the garden working, I gathered myself a basket of tomatoes, both ripe and still green. Then I suddenly realized that the perfect subject for an article was literally at my fingertips.

Thanks to India’s warm climate, fresh tomatoes are available year-round. Introduced by the British in the 1850s, tomatoes rapidly gained a place in Indian cuisine, although they are still not considered as “traditional” as potatoes (which is strange since they both come from the New World). I’ve included a home-style tomato-potato curry that we cooked on a regular basis when I was growing up. It seemed we had a variation of this dish almost every day. Tomatoes were that popular!

When my sisters and I were learning to cook, my mother agreed to make us dresses if we helped out in the kitchen. My older sister and I paired up, and since I didn’t know much about everyday cooking, I helped chop vegetables, washed lentils and rice, and made fresh chutneys, which I mastered rather quickly.

Tomatoes are often featured in chutneys, sometimes cooked, other times fire-roasted, or even left “raw.” I serve these chutneys with Indian snacks or meals. A friend told me that they could also be used as a spread on crackers or bread. Think of chutneys as the “salsas” of Indian cuisine. You might want to try them with tortilla chips. I sometimes use them when I’m making sandwiches, just to give them a bit of a “lift.” Try a few spoonfuls in a pasta salad.

Of course, if you want the authentic experience, they’re perfect with a bowl of rice and Indian lentil soup or ‘dal’ as it is known in Hindi.

All of the spices mentioned in these recipes can be found at a local Indian grocery store. I have been able to find all of them at Bazaar in Vallejo, (707) 644-1294.

Curry leaves (Murraya koenigii) are sold fresh in most Indian grocery stores.  A member of the citrus family, these leaves add a unique taste to many dishes. This is not the grey-leafed curry plant (Helichrysum angustifolium) sold in many nurseries, which just smells like curry powder.

Indian five spice (panch phoran) is definitely not the same thing as the Chinese five-spice blend. It’s made from equal parts of whole brown mustard seed, fennel, fenugreek, cumin and nigella. When added to hot ghee/oil, it has the sweetest aroma one can imagine. You can make it yourself, or buy it in packages at an Indian grocery. After numerous calls to my mother, sister and sister-in-law, we still can’t agree on the exact origin of this spice mix. Most likely it originated in the state of West Bengal, but it has now been adopted in many other parts of India as well.

Ingredients:

1 lb. tomatoes, chopped in cubes

5 to 6 curry leaves

1 to 2 whole dried red chilies

1/2 teaspoon Indian five spice (panch phoran) (see note below)

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. ghee or vegetable oil

Salt to taste

Directions:

Heat a non-reactive pan (stainless steel, enamel or glass). Add ghee (or vegetable oil). When medium hot, add whole chilies and Indian five spice (panch phoran). When mustard seeds in the five spice mixture start to splutter, add curry leaves (optional), stir, and then add chopped tomatoes. Fold together the ingredients and add salt to taste.

Let the mixture cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to release their juice. Add sugar and mix gently. Let it cook for another 2 to 3 minutes at high heat, while stirring from time to time so that the mixture doesn’t stick to the pan. Cool and serve. 

Fire-Roasted Ripe Tomato Chutney with Ginger and Cilantro

Mustard oil is quite commonly used in India.  It is said to aid the digestion and promote the appetite, and in India, it was a less expensive option than ghee for many people. Because of its preservative qualities, it is also widely used in Indian pickles. I have always loved the sharpness of mustard oil for this dish. You could substitute olive oil if you can’t find mustard oil, but it’s worth trying to seek it out.

Ingredients

1 lb. ripe tomatoes

1/2 inch of ginger root, peeled and minced

Few sprigs of cilantro, washed, and chopped

1 Tbsp. mustard oil

Salt to taste

Directions

Fire-roast the tomatoes over a gas flame, under a broiler, or on a cooktop, until the skins blister and begin to blacken. Remove the skins and coarsely chop the tomatoes into pieces.  Add chopped cilantro, minced ginger, salt, and oil, and mix together gently.  Let sit for about 15 to 20 minutes for flavors to mingle before serving.

Fire-Roasted Green Tomato Chutney

While picking my tomatoes, I always include plenty of green tomatoes as well. This recipe may just seem like “salsa verde,” but it’s really something quite different. 

If you don’t feel like fire-roasting them, you can always drop the tomatoes in boiling water for about 1 minute. Let them cool a bit, and then you can easily remove the skins. The flavors from these two techniques are distinctly different and both are worth trying.

Ingredients

1 lb. green tomatoes (any kind will do)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 fresh red jalapeno peppers, chopped (seeds removed)

10 to 15 sprigs of cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Salt to taste

Directions

Roast the tomatoes as in the previous recipe. Remove the skin and coarsely chop them into pieces. Heat a non-reactive pan (stainless steel, enamel or glass). Add vegetable oil. When medium hot, add chopped garlic, red jalapeno peppers and cilantro. Stir for about 5 to 10 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes, and fold all the ingredients together. Take the pan off the heat and add the lime juice. Chill for about 30 minutes before serving.

You can also strain the chopped tomatoes if they seem to contain too much water, especially if you want a chunkier version of this recipe.

Raw Tomato-Cilantro Chutney

Ingredients

2 to 3 medium-sized Roma tomatoes, quartered

1 bunch of fresh cilantro

2 cloves of garlic

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 green jalapeno (seeds removed), chopped

Salt to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except tomatoes, in a food processor and blend until a smooth paste. Add tomatoes and pulse for a few seconds — just enough to chop tomatoes, not puree them. It’s ready to serve immediately.

For a less “watery” chutney, I like to chop my tomatoes, sprinkle some salt on top, and leave them in a colander to drain. The tomato-water can be used in soup or Spanish rice.

Family-Style

Tomato-Potato Curry

In this family-style dish, the potatoes and tomatoes were often accompanied by other seasonal vegetables. In winter, we added peas. In spring, it was green chickpeas. Any kind of squash would be tossed in during the summer. Sometimes sprouted mung beans were thrown in as well.

Ingredients

3/4 lb. of potatoes, boiled until cooked

1 lb. of tomatoes, cubed

1 inch of ginger root, peeled, minced

10 to 15 springs of cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp. ghee or vegetable oil

2 bay leaves

1 dried whole chili pepper

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. coriander powder

1/4 tsp. powdered red chili (optional)

1 1/2 cups water

Salt to taste

Directions

Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat ghee or vegetable oil in a medium-sized non-reactive saucepan (stainless steel, enamel or glass).  When medium hot, add dried whole chili pepper, bay leaves and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start to sizzle, add turmeric powder, garam masala and coriander powder. Be careful not to burn the turmeric powder or it will become bitter. Add minced ginger root and stir for 5 seconds. Add potates and gently fold all the spices into potatoes. Add salt, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes at high heat. When the potatoes start to stick to the pan, add chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until tomatoes are thoroughly cooked. Add 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve on a bed of basmati rice and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.