Tomato Pickle

Another recipe of a homemade pickle. I personally love tomato pickle when it is homemade. Making pickles at home is a passion for my mother. I learned by just helping her out.

She makes a variety of pickles and distributes to all her near ones. Whenever she could get the pickle ingredients at a cheaper rate she buys them in bulk and makes variety of pickles according to the seasonal fruit/veggies she gets. I still remember my dad saying "your mother spends all my money in buying oil for her pickles." Now let's take a look at the recipe......

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 45 mins |Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Tomato - 1 kg/2 lbs

Garlic - 1 whole

Chili powder - 3 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard - 2 tsp

Fenugreek/ Vendayam/ Methi - 1 1/2 tsp

Tamarind - one small lemon size

Oil (nallenai) - 200 ml  

Salt

Always adjust your salt and chili powder as per your taste.

Method:

• Wash, drain and cut the tomatoes. Cook them in a large heavy bottom pan.  

•  Meanwhile, soak the tamarind in warm water. 

• Slice the garlic. 

•  Dry roast the mustard and fenugreek for 1 or 2 mins. Grind and keep. 

•  While the tomatoes are still cooking add the concentrated tamarind pulp.

•  Add the turmeric, chili powder, and salt.

•  Cook for a while and add the ground mustard and fenugreek powder. This thickens the tomatoes.

• When the tomato is still cooking and reducing, season the pickle with mustard garlic and curry leaves. Heat the remaining oil and add it to the pickle.

• When the tomatoes are almost dry, now add the seasoning and keep cooking until the oil comes out. Keep cooking until it reaches the pickle consistency.

• Store in an airtight jar. Preferably a glass jar. 

Note: 

1.The traditional way is to sun dry the tomatoes with salt until the water evaporates. Then it is ground and cooked with tamarind.This way it has a longer shelf life. 

2.This pickle recipe is an instant method and has a shelf life of a week. Store them in a refrigerator for a longer shelf life.

3.Try to make it as dry as possible and then add the seasoning.