Hirvya Tamatyachi Bhaaji (Green Tomato Sabji)

Green/Raw Tomatoes have a different taste than the ripe red ones. I love tomatoes in any form..When it comes to ripe tomatoes, I can eat tomatoes any time of the day without any dressing or cooking.. From a plate of salad in front of me, its the tomatoes that vanish first, then cucumber, then cabbage, then carrots and then other things.. Olives and Onions mostly remain unfinished :D Other than salads, most of my soup creations include Tomato- tomato soup, rasam, sambar, tomato saar etc... Tomatoes make the base in all my gravy preparations and also spice up some rice dishes..

Hirvya Tomatochi Bhaaji is a maharashtrian vegetable prepeared using raw tomatoes.. This is my mom's recipe and she made it a point to bring these tomatoes whenever they were in market just to make this sabji or chutney! (which I am yet to prepare and post). I found these at the turkish shop here last week and decided to give it a try.. And it turned out real tasty.. A tangy taste as expected.. This Indian style stir fry vegetable prepared from green tomatoes goes to Chemcook for Fresh Produce of Month.. The theme for this month is Tomatoes!

Hirvya Tamatyachi Bhaaji

Preparation Time:

15-20 mins

Serves:

2

What you need:

3-4 Green Tomatoes chopped
1 Onion,chopped
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Pinch of Turmeric
2 tbsp Jaggery (can be replaced by 2-3 tsp Sugar)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Oil

How to proceed:

1) Heat oil, add mustard and cumin seeds
2) When they start spluttering, add onions and saute till they turn translucent
3) Now add red chilli powder and turmeric and mix well
4) Add chopped tomatoes, mix and cook covered for 5 mins
5) Add salt and Jaggery, stir well and cook covered for some more time
6) Turn off when tomato is soft
7) Serve hot with rotis or bread!

Tomatoche Saar

Following the footsteps of tomatochi bhaaji is another tomato item.. but now in a liquified form.. Tomato Saar.. The Maharashtrian soup for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine and "T of Indian Vegetables"

According to my knowledge, Tomato Saar is the only Maharashtrian soup! (provided you dont call "Kadhi" as "Yoghurt Soup" and Daal as "Lentils Soup" :D) Tomato saar is thinner than the normal tomato soup and is easy to make. The real taste comes from the exact balance of sugar salt, pepper and the cumin-mustard tadka made in ghee. This falls in the soup/appetiser category and is usually served in Maharashtrian wedding ceremonies. People like me easily gulp down 2-3 bowls :D

Tomatoche Saar

What you need:

3-4 Tomatoes(preferably hard ones)

10-12 Black Pepper, powdered

2-3 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

2 tsp Corriander, chopped

How to proceed:

1) Boil Tomatoes in water till they are soft and skin comes off easily

2) Remove the skin from tomatoes and blend in a mixie

3) Sieve it to remove tomato seeds

4) Now transfer the contents in a cooking pan

5) Add powdered pepper, salt and sugar and bring to boil

6) Add water as required to get watery texture [Saar is very thin compared to soup]

7) Let it boil for 7-8 mins

8) In a separate pan, heat ghee, and add mustard and cumin seeds to it.

9) Once the seeds start spluttering, add the tadka to the saar

10) Now mix the saar well and let cook for 2-3 mins

11) Serve hot garnished with corriander

* Tadka in pure ghee gives an outstanding taste to the saar! Take care while adding tadka to the saar..

Tomatochi Bhaaji

Tomatochi Bhaaji is my entry for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine and Nupur's "T of Indian Vegetables".

Tomato is known by the same name in Marathi. Tomatochi Bhaaji aka Tomato sabji is another dry sabji which is usually prepared with Thalipeeth(a Maharashtrian bread) but goes best with the punjabi Aalo Paratha! Onions and tomatoes, salt n sugar, some spices and peanut powder is all it takes to prepare this lovely sabji!!

Tomatochi Bhaaji

What you need:

4-5 medium sized Tomatoes (preferably not too soft), chopped
1 Onion, chopped
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Turmeric
2-3 tsp Jaggery (can be replaced by sugar)
4-5 tsp Peanut Powder (Peanuts roasted and pounded)
Salt to taste
Oil

How to proceed:

1) Heat 1-2 tsp oil and add mustard and cumin seeds to it
2) When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add onions to it
3) Sauté onions for a minute
4) Add red chilli powder and turmeric and mix well
5) Now add tomatoes, mix well and cook for some time
6) Add jaggery, salt and peanut powder and cook covered till tomatoes are cooked and become a little mushy
7) Serve hot with rotis/ parathas