Tomato Curry with Coconut Milk

 I saw this dish being made on an episode of Taste of Kerala a few months back and have been making it regularly since then.  

 This preparation is simple and delicious, and it only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. It goes well with rotis or parathas. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of asafoetida
• A sprig of curry leaves
• 2-3 green chillies, minced 
• 8-10 shallots or 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• ½  tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 6 Tbsp coconut milk powder mixed in 1-1 1/2 cups of water
• Salt to taste

Method:

In a large pan, heat the coconut oil. Temper it with the mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. Add the green chillies and onions and cook till the onions soften. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.

Stir in the chilli powder and coriander powder and fry for a minute. 

Add the prepared coconut milk and mix well. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Tomato, Mozzarella And Basil Bruschetta

Bruschetta is grilled bread seasoned with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Variations may include toppings of spicy red pepper, tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, and/or cheese; the most popular American recipe involves basil, fresh mozzarella, and tomato. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer. This dish is popular all over the world, although it originated in Italy.
(Source: Wikipedia)

I had a few of these for breakfast the other day. As with most things Italian that I make, this one too is a recipe from my favorite Food Network chef, Giada De Laurentiis’ kitchen.

Ingredients:
1 tomato, chopped
A good handful of fresh basil
2 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
A loaf of Italian bread, sliced 1-inch thick
Fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼ inch thick

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor, add chopped tomato pieces, basil leaves, 1 garlic clove and olive oil. Pulse a couple of times to get a coarse, but somewhat chunky mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

On a baking sheet lined with foil, line up bread slices. Toast in oven for about 5 minutes or until light golden brown. Working quickly, rub the garlic clove on each slice and then lay a piece of mozzarella cheese on top. Sprinkle a little salt on each slice. Place bread back in oven and melt cheese slightly. Remove from oven and spread one tablespoon of the tomato mixture on each piece. Serve warm.

Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato And Bread Soup)

Pappa al Pomodoro is a thick and hearty tomato based Tuscan soup, thickened with bread. It makes use of the simplest of ingredients- tomatoes, bread, garlic and olive oil- yet it’s so rich and full of flavor. This is easily one of the most delicious soups I’ve tasted in a long time.

I only wish I’d had fresh basil while making the soup as it would have taken the flavors to a whole new level, but it was not too bad even without basil leaves. I did not want to use the dried basil that I had for this recipe.

This soup is the outcome of the recipes I saw here here and here, and is a great way to use up leftover bread.

Ingredients:
(For 3-4 servings)
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (mine also had basil, garlic and oregano)
½ onion, sliced
4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 cups stale bread, cut into cubes (I used the Italian bread that I had)
4 tbsp olive oil
Red pepper flakes
Salt
Pepper
3 cups water or as required

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread the cherry tomatoes (no need to halve these), the sliced onions and the garlic cloves on a baking sheet lined with foil. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well to coat the vegetables. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until vegetables are soft and caramelized.

In a large saucepan, add the can of diced tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes and then add the roasted vegetables to it. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and then simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet lined with foil. I used the same baking sheet from above, just replaced the foil. Toss the bread cubes around in 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Toast for 15-20 minutes at 250 degrees F.

Toss the toasted bread cubes into the soup and mix well. The bread absorbs all the liquid in the soup as it cooks. Add the rest of the water. Mix well and continue to cook for some more time. Adjust the seasoning as required and keep checking and stirring the soup every now and then.

I did not like having large pieces of tomatoes in my soup, so I used my immersion blender and pureed everything just a little bit. Simmer on low-medium heat for another 5-10 minutes till the soup develops a texture similar to that of a thick and creamy porridge. Add more water or stock, if necessary, to achieve desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

The soup tastes even better the next day but it becomes very thick, so you would need to add some water or stock (I used milk) to thin it out. Also adjust the salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes and serve.

This soup is my entry for No Croutons Required: The Birthday Edition, hosted this month by Holler who is celebrating her birthday the entire month.
Here’s a predominantly Italian menu to go with the soup.
Parmesan Popovers
Parmesan cups with mango salsa
Potato gratin
Cannellini beans with cheese and basil
Ricotta and Nutella phyllo shells

Happy Birthday, Holler!

Tomato Rice

I had a day off from work today and not much to do around the house. With most of the chores having been taken care of over the weekend, I decided to spend some time reading. I settled into my favorite spot on the couch with one of the books that I’d borrowed from the local library a couple of days back. A few hours later, it was time for lunch and I had to put something together very fast before hunger took over and I began eating anything in sight. So, I decided to make something that was quick, simple and tasty, something that I make every now and then with leftover rice- tomato rice.

Considering the amount of rice we consume, I’m really surprised that I don’t have too many rice-based dishes (except for this and this) on this blog.

I have listed the ingredients for the recipe in the order in which I had used them. The list looks like a long one and it probably is, but most of them are just common seasoning ingredients and spices that are used almost daily in most South Indian kitchens.

Ingredients:
For seasoning:
3 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
A pinch of asafoetida
1 stick cinnamon
2-3 bay leaves
¾ tsp powdered cloves
4-5 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
½ inch piece ginger, grated
4-5 green chillies, finely chopped
A sprig of curry leaves

Other ingredients:
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 large tomatoes, cubed
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
1 ½ sambar powder
4-5 cups, cooked rice
Salt as required

Method:
Heat ghee in a large pan. Add all the ingredients for seasoning followed by garlic, ginger and chillies. Fish out the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves.

Sauté onions, and then add tomatoes followed by coriander and sambar powders. Cover and cook till tomatoes turn mushy. Add the tomato paste and cook.

Add cooked rice to the pan and mix well. Serve hot with a raita or just plain yogurt, and pickle.

Tomato Dosa

I first saw these dosas on Laavanya's blog over a year ago, and what I liked most about the recipe was the fact that the batter was really easy to prepare and did not involve fermentation. I have since been making it very frequently.
These dosas make for a perfect breakfast/brunch over the weekend when you don't feel like doing much, or for that matter, on a busy weeknight when you just can’t!

For Laavanya's recipe, head over to Cookery Corner.

Here's what I did.
Ingredients:
1 cup raw rice, soaked for at least an hour
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 red chillies
A few curry leaves
2 Tbsp grated coconut
1 Tbsp tomato paste
Salt to taste

Method:
Grind everything together, adding water as you go along, to get the right consistency for the batter.
Go ahead and make those dosas now! Everyone knows how to make dosas, right? I have a thing for thin and crispy dosas, so that's how I made mine.

Here are some other dosas I make very often-
Adai
Cornmeal dosa
Jaggery dosa
Plain dosa (instant)

Tomato Oambal

A few days back, I saw this recipe on Arundathi’s blog and wanted to make it right away. The simplicity of the recipe and the fact that it only called for a handful of ingredients was what drew me towards it. I have found that I usually only go for recipes that are quick and easy, and do not have an ingredient list that is a mile long.

I finally got a chance to make tomato oambal today.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds & ¾ tsp red chilli flakes
1 Tbsp raisins
3 medium tomatoes, diced
Jaggery (depending on taste)
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds followed by the red chilli flakes.

Add the raisins, chopped tomatoes and salt and cook till the tomatoes turn to mush.

Add the jaggery and continue cooking on medium heat for a good 20-25 minutes till all the water evaporates and the mixture thickens.

Add some lemon juice at the end of the cooking process.


This was my very first taste of the cuisine of North-East India, and I have to say that I simply loved it! I used the tomato oambal as a sauce for some noodles that I made for dinner tonight.

Off this goes to Nupur for the July edition of the Monthly Blog Patrol. The theme this month is Less is More.

Spring Onion and Tomato Gojju

Ever since Asha announced RCI: Karnataka, I have been wondering what to make. I googled a number of Karnataka recipes before finally deciding to settle for a gojju.

From what I understand, a gojju is a sweet-sour and spicy dish which is part of a traditional Kannadiga Oota (Kannadiga meal) and can be prepared using a variety of vegetables like eggplant, okra, tomato, pumpkin, onion, bitter gourd etc . It involves cooking the vegetable in a sweet and sour gravy which is prepared by using grated coconut, tamarind & jaggery. Generally, a gojju is prepared using just a single vegetable so that it imparts its own unique taste to the gojju.

I came across dozens of gojju recipes on the blogs of my fellow blogger friends before deciding to make a simple onion and tomato gojju. I adapted this recipe to suit my taste and I must say I was not at all disappointed with the outcome. I am going to make this regularly.
This is how I went about making this dish.

Ingredients:
1 large bunch of finely chopped spring onions/scallions/green onions
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
½ tsp chilli powder
2 tsp sambar powder (I used MTR)
2 marble-sized balls of tamarind soaked in warm water
1 big piece of jaggery
1 tsp rice flour (for thickening the gojju)
Salt to taste

For seasoning:
1 Tbsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp skinned and split white lentils/ urad dal
A pinch of asafoetida/hing
3-4 curry leaves

To be dry-roasted:
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp methi seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp split chickpeas/chana dal
2 tsp sesame seeds

To be ground to a smooth paste:
2 Tbsp coconut
Previously roasted ingredients

Method:
Heat oil and add all the ingredients for the seasoning followed by the spring onions. Sauté till the onions are soft and transparent, and then add the tomatoes and cover and cook till the tomatoes are done.

Add the chilli powder & sambar powder and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the ground paste of the coconut and the roasted ingredients and cook for a few minutes.

Add the tamarind juice along with the jaggery and a cup of water and let the whole mixture come to a boil.

Prepare a paste of rice flour in some water and add this paste to the boiling mixture. Turn down the heat.

Simmer for 5-7 minutes till the gojju thickens.

Serve hot with rice.

This is being sent to Asha (Foodie’s Hope and Aroma), the host for RCI: Karnataka.
Thanks for hosting, Asha!

Cucumber and Tomato Curry

Ingredients:

½ cucumber (medium), peeled & cubed
2 tomatoes, cubed
½ cup yogurt
½ cup grated coconut (I used the frozen variety)
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 red chillies

Pinch of turmeric powder
Salt to taste

For the seasoning:
1 Tbsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp fenugreek/methi seeds
3-4 curry leaves
Pinch of asafoetida/hing
1-2 red chillies

Method:

Cook the cubed cucumber and chopped tomatoes with a little water and some turmeric powder in a vessel till the veggies are soft.(Take care to see that the cucumber is not falling apart).

Meanwhile, grind the coconut, cumin seeds & red chillies to a fine paste with very little water.

Add the ground coconut mixture to the cooked vegetables & mix well. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes or so.

Beat the yogurt well & add to the vegetable-coconut mixture. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously to mix everything well and also to make sure that the yogurt does not separate.After 2-3 minutes, set this aside.

In a separate pan, heat the oil and add all the ingredients for the seasoning.

Add the seasoning to the curry . Serve hot with some rice.