~Better Than Fried Green Tomatoes~

Tomato, what a versatile fruit or vegetable (however you view it)! There are so many kinds and so many ways to use them all. Let me count the ways: sauces, relishes, breads, rice dishes and even curries. Just take a look at those succulent and juicy varieties. Makes me want to reach in and take a big bite out of one!

Photo: Jack Gavigan (CC/SA)

One of the ways I enjoy eating tomatoes is with roti or hot rice. It's a dish called Tangy Tomato Curry which my mom prepared for a Diwali dinner recently. This gravy based dish is made with unripened tomatoes.  My mom always said, the greener the tomatoes, the better the taste. What I like about this dish is that the tomatoes are the focal point and not used as garnish or gravy. It's about time, they got some recognition! Are you with me?

Ingredients for Tangy Tomato Curry:
- 5 Medium Green tomatoes, cut into cubes
- 2 Medium Potatoes, cut into ½” cubes & microwave for 4 min
- 1 Large Onion, chopped into ½” cubes
- 4 Green chilies, finely chopped
- 1 inch piece of Ginger, grated
- ¼ cup of Grated coconut, fresh or dry powder
- ½ tbsp of Sambhar powder
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 tsp of Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp of Mustard seeds
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- ¼ cup of Fresh Coriander/Cilantro, chopped

Procedure: Heat oil in a medium size saucepan and season with cumin & mustard seeds. When they splutter, add onions and saute the mixture for couple of minutes. Next add turmeric, ginger and chopped chilies and stir well. Then add the potato and tomato pieces and salt. Mix and cook under medium to low heat with closed lid for 6 to 8 minutes. When the potato pieces are soft, add sambhar powder, grated coconut and mix well. Serve it with hot rotis or rice and enjoy the spicy & sour chatpata taste.

***Quick Tip: If dry coconut powder is used, sprinkle it with 2 tbsp of water and microwave it for 30 seconds to make it soft & fluffy. 

!*!Diwali Dhoom Dham Se!*!

Wishing You & Your Family

A Very Happy Diwali 

On Friday we celebrated one of India's most important holidays called Diwali. For those of you who are not well versed in Indian festivals, I thought I would share some insight into our culture. The festival earned the tag line, "festival of lights" from its name. Diwali is a contraction of the word Deepavali which translates into row of lamps; specifically oil lamps made with clay called Diyas. These lamps are then placed outside every one's homes to light the night. They signify the triumph of good over evil.  It has a nice ring to it, don't you think. Every holiday has its own traditions that make it meaningful and fun. Another tradition is that everyone wears new clothes and shares sweets with all their friends and family.  So, of course I put on my best Indian clothes and prepared for the day's events.

This year we decided to have a potluck dinner and invited a few people over to celebrate the holiday. The day started with decorating the front porch with rangoli.

We do this on all holidays, as you might have remembered reading on my post about Ganesh Chaturthi. Rangoli is the traditional decorative folk art of India. There are competitions that are held to see who can come up with the most intricate and unique designs. If you don't take my word for it, just check out this website: http://www.theholidayspot.com/diwali/rangoli.htm

As night approached, we lit diyas as well. We would usually place them outside but it was a particularly windy day so we arranged them inside to be enjoyed by all.

Colorful Diyas

Another tradition is eating Pheni (fried vermicelli) with sugar and hot milk. It is the first thing everyone eats on Diwali as a way of breaking fast.  I love it because it's so simple and once you mix the ingredients together, it tastes like payasm (kheer). 

Pheni with sugar

As for all parties, my mom and I pre-plan the dinner menu so we can shop for the ingredients and prepare for the big day. This year we made most of the dishes except for a couple so we had time to do other things. Phew!

We made the green mango and spinach dal, tangy tomato curry, daddojanam (yogurt rice) and green beans. My aunt made the vegetable biryani and the mixed veg raita. We also had a variety of sweets to choose from at the party (including the ones some guests brought). Along with the boxed sweets, we also served gulab jamun that we made from scratch.

The Diwali Dinner turned out great and everyone raved about the food. The best part about holiday parties are the leftovers.  

***Quick Tips:
- Pheni is available at most Indian grocers during the Diwali festival time. 
- An easy and non  alcoholic beverage for holiday parties is Cranberry Spritzer. All you need to do is combine (1) part cranberry juice and (1) part Sprite. It has a refreshing taste.