5 Totally Tasty Ways To Eat Tomatoes!

5 Totally Tasty Ways To Eat Tomatoes!

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been telling my mum to remove raw tomatoes from my food. Forget raw, I even cringe when I see people putting dollops of tomato ketchup on their sandwiches. When I was in school, I failed to understand why my classmates would bring aloo paranthas for lunch smeared with tomato sauce. That’s how much I dislike this red vegetable. I’ve thrown enough and more tantrums about not eating the red vegetable since childhood all the way up into adulthood, but I have a mum who never gives up. How could she not let me eat a vegetable that’s a staple in most kitchens, that too when it’s so good for one’s health?

So she went ahead and found some great tomato recipes that totally changed my relationship with the humble tomato. To be honest, I absolutely love them now. If a fussy eater like me can relish them, then anyone can find them delicious. The recipes below are a little different than the usual but I can vouch for the fact that they’re utterly delicious. Forget about salads, soups, and traditional sauces. Give these 5 recipes a try and I promise you’ll enjoy eating them as much as I do.

(P.S.: I still cannot eat a raw tomato, though.)

 

salsa

Courtesy: Jamie Oliver

1. Tomato Salsa

This recipe might be familiar to some of you but there’s no harm in revisiting something that’s so good, right? A quick dish to compliment your nachos, it’s the perfect evening snack. Or you can eat it just like it is. It goes amazingly well with a few crackers and beer too.

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 ripe tomatoes
  • Spring onions
  • 1 large capsicum
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • salt
  • lemon juice

Method: Finely chop all the vegetables and mix them together. Sprinkle salt and lemon juice according to your taste. Fresh salsa is ready!

 

candied (1)

Courtesy: Splendid Table

2. Oven-Dried Tomatoes

A two-ingredient recipe, this one is a favourite party dish at my place. This recipe requires zero hard work, just a little patience. Why? Once the tomatoes are cooked, they have to be kept aside to rest for 4-6 hours. Also called Candied Tomatoes, they are seriously delicious!

Ingredients:

  • Tomatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Method: Slice the tomatoes in small wedges. Line them on a baking tray and generously pour some olive oil over them as that is what will bring out the flavour. Bake them in the oven for around 30 minutes at 300 degrees till the edges are charred. Allow the dish to cool and then cover it and keep aside for 4-6 hours before serving.

 

chips

Courtesy: Eatwell

3. Tomato Chips

Yes, you read that right! When I recently shared this recipe with a co-worker, she was surprised that such a thing even exists. This recipe is not your tomato-flavoured Lays, but scrumptious tomatoes that have been given the form of chips!

Ingredients:

  • Tomatoes – red, green and yellow
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic cloves
  • Salt

Method: Heat a saucepan with olive oil in it. Put in the cloves and let it cook and release its flavours. Take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool. Strain the garlic-infused oil. Thinly slice the tomatoes and line them on a baking tray. Pour the oil and sprinkle salt over it. Let it bake till it has lost all its moisture and the chips have become crisp. This process may take up to 2 hours.

 jam

Courtesy: Food Network

4. Tomato Jam

Similar to tomato chutney, this tomato jam has a beautiful flavour and can be stored for almost a week. Breakfasts are going to get a lot more interesting once you make this!

Ingredients: 

  • 1 kg tomatoes
  • I cup sugar mixed with the zest of a medium-sized lemon
  • Lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon hot chili
  • 1 teaspoon all spice powder
  • salt

Method: Boil all the ingredients in a skillet. Keep stirring so that the tomatoes don’t burn. Once the bubbles are formed it’s a sign that the jam is ready and the sugar is starting to caramelise. Pour the mixture in another pan to cool it down. Add more lemon juice if it is too sweet. Serve it with toasted breads and a chilled glass of ice tea.

 

stuffed

Courtesy: BuonaPappa

5. Stuffed Tomatoes

You can experiment with the flavours of this dish according to what you like to eat!

Ingredients:

  • Tomatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Onions
  • Garlic cloves
  • Pine nuts
  • Boiled rice
  • Salt

Method: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a saucepan. Add the oil, cloves, and onion and saute. Add in the boiled rice. Sprinkle some salt and allow it to cool down. Slice the top of the tomatoes in such a way that it forms a lid. Slice a very small part of the tomato from the bottom so that it can stand on a flat base. Remove the pulp and fill in the mixture. Add pine nuts for crunchiness. Bake in the oven for 45 mins to an hour.

 

Japleen Kaur

Hauterfly's Lifestyle writer and resident Potterhead. In love with boxes, diaries, food, and conversations. Always in a state of fernweh. (Don't know what that means? Search the site for more!)

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