Endu Tomato Pachadi

Ingredients:

2 kg tomatoes, wash, dry and slice

50 gms tamarind

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

3 tbsps red chilli pwd (adjust)

1 tsp dry roasted methi pwd

1 tbsp mustard seeds, dry roast till they splutter, cool and make pwd

3 tbsps salt

1/2 tsp hing/asafoetida

6 tbsps oil

Method of preparation:

Slice each tomato into 6 pieces. Add salt and turmeric pwd, combine and place lid. Leave aside overnight.

Next morning, squeeze out entire liquid from each piece and spread the tomato pieces over a cloth and sun dry. Sun dry the pieces till they are completely dry with no trace of rawness. This usually takes 3-4 days of good sunshine. Every evening, remove the cloth containing the tomato pieces, place indoors and next day again place back the cloth containing the tomato pieces to sun dry.

Pour the liquid in a very wide (shallow) vessel. Add tamarind and allow to sun dry. This could take at least 4 days of good sunshine. The liquid will thicken. Every evening, remove the tomato liquid and place indoors, place back again the next day morning to sun dry.

Once the tomatoes and liquid are sun-dried, combine the dried tomatoes pieces with the sun dried liquid and leave overnight, covered.

Next morning, blend this to a slightly coarse paste. Add red chilli pwd, methi pwd, roasted mustard pwd and combine.

Heat oil in a vessel. It should not be too hot. Once hot, turn off heat. Add asafoetida and leave for 10 to 15 secs in the oil. Be careful not to burn the hing. Now add this asafoetida infused oil to the tomato mixture and combine.

Cool and store in an airtight bottle. Refrigerate.