Tomato Pickle with lotsa love by Amma !!!

Getting back to work after a long break is something which is very difficult to accept.The luxury of getting up late, having short naps in the afternoon all of it is gone.Jake being a well behaved cutie, I have been able to manage the first week at work. Having my mom with me has been a real boon. She helps with all the stuff and the transition is so far smooth.After she gets back to India, God only knows. Wish I had four hands !!!

First 2 months she was here, it was so hectic we could never think about food. Now that everything is settling down she prepared one of her signature recipe "Tomato pickle". I have never tasted something like this anywhere. It is totally unique.My little sis asked my mom to prepare this for her, when she left for the US. But as my mom did not have time she was not able to prepare it.So this post is dedicated to her as she is having a tough time in India managing for food. This pickle can be used as a sidedish for dosa, idli, chappati or even even mix it with rice and eat. Try this allpurpose pickle. You are going to love this !!!

Preparation Time : 20 min

Cooking Time - 60 min

Yields - 1 Medium size bottle of pickle.

Ingredients

Ripe red tomatoes - 2 lb
Garlic - 3 bulbs
Ginger - 100 gms
Tamarind - lemon size
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 3 tbsp
Salt - as needed
Seasame Oil - 5 - 6 tbsp

Prepartion

• Wash, pat dry and grind the tomato into a smooth paste.
• Dry roast the fenugreek seeds in medium flame for about 2 min and allow it to cool. Grind it into a fine powder.
• Prepare ginger garlic paste with the cloves out of 2 garlic bulbs and the ginger.
• Crush the cloves out of the 3rd garlic bulb and keep aside.
• Soak the tamarind in hot water and take the juice out of it.

Method

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed kadai, add the mustard and allow it to crackle.
• Add the crushed garlic in medium flame and saute until it turns golden brown.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until raw smell goes off.
• Add the tomato paste and mix well.
• Carefully cook in high flame until all the water evapoartes and the mixture turns thick.
• When the mixture turns thick and red, reduce flame add the chilly powder, tamarind juice and asafoetida powder.
• Once the oil separates add the fenugreek powder and salt and cook for additional 10 mins.

Notes

• When pickle is stored in a airtight container in the fridge it stays super good for about a month.
• If ineterested you can add a small piece of jaggery while adding the fenugreek powder. 

Thanks a ton Jay for the award you had shared with me !!! Check out the super cool award here.