Tomato Chutney
A Smokey Tomato Recipe
I am raising a child in the midst of a pandemic. This means no help at all and juggling house work with baby duties. And, that includes cooking as well. I’ve always loved elaborate cooking, trying out new recipes and planning regular dinner parties. But with a baby attached to my hip all day long now, I don’t have the luxury of cooking long-drawn meals anymore. I need recipes that require minimum time and effort, yet taste amazingly good aka the tomato chutney!
One thing this pandemic has taught me is the importance of the usually overlooked side dishes and chutneys. During the pre-pandemic days, I never paid much importance to chutneys, pickles and their like. Yes, I did make them occasionally, but they weren’t really something I gave too much thought to. The main dishes took up most of my time. But, now, these chutneys have become a lifesaver for me. Whip up a delicious concoction and they can make any bland quick-fix meal taste heavenly.
One of my favourites these days is the roasted tomato chutney. It’s extremely enjoyable – the smokey deliciousness, the subtle spiciness and slight tanginess – yum! And, the best part, it hardly takes ten minutes to make it. Or, even less, if your tomatoes are soft and quick to roast.
So, without any delay, here is my tomato chutney recipe, to spice up your meals.
Chutney is a condiment served with Indian meals. Chutneys are made from fruits, vegetables, yoghurt, peanuts, or spices and can be spicy or mild or even sweet. Chutneys produced with coconut or mango are popular chutneys, whereas cucumbers and tomatoes are common vegetable-based chutneys. Our dish today is a variation on the popular tomato chutney.
- 1 Tomato
- 8-10 Garlic Pods (depending on how garlicky you want the chutney, you can increase or decrease this amount)
- 1 Green Chilly (Again, depending on how spicy you want your chutney, increase or decrease the number of chillies used)
- 1 pinch Salt (Add salt to taste)
- Instructions
Pierce the tomato into a skewer and roast it over an open flame.
Roast the tomato thoroughly until the skin is charred and the inside flesh becomes soft.
Keep it aside in a bowl
Next, pierce the garlic pods with the skewer and roast them over the open flame, until they get slightly charred. Do not burn them too much.
Blend the tomato, garlic, chilly and salt until smooth.
Taste and serve!
This chutney will not have the classic bright red colour, it will be more blackish brown. I do not remove the charred/burnt bits because I love the flavour they add to the chutney, but feel free to remove them, if you do not like the charred taste.
So, do give this a try and comment below to let me know how much you loved it. If you are adding your own twist to it, then I want to know all about it.