Tomato chutney-1

Hi Friends! Here is the recipe of spicy, tangy and flavorful tomato chutney  Tomato chutney you will enjoy with idli, dosas.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 12-15 minutes

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients :

• 3 medium size onions
• 3 medium size tomatoes
• 1 tsp urad dal/ husked black gram dal
• 1 red chili
• 1/4 tsp of asafetida / hing
• 1 small marble size tamarind ( without seeds, soaked in 1/4 cup of water for 1 hour)
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp low sodium salt / or salt as required
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• Few fresh curry leaves
• 1/4 cup water or as required for grinding the chutney(if required to run the grinder)

Instructions:

Step 1.

Peel, wash and chop the onions , keep aside. Chop washed tomatoes and keep them aside.

Step 2.

Take a pan heat the oil add the urad dal and when it starts to change colour, add asafetida , red chili. Fry for few more minutes till the urad dal becomes golden.

Step 3.

Add the onions and sauté till golden, add the tomatoes ,and salt. Cover and cook till the tomatoes become soft, and are cooked.

Step 4.

Cool the onion tomato mixture, add the seedless tamarind and grind in the grinder. Add water if required for grinding.

Take out the chutney in a serving bowl.

For tempering:

Heat a pan with a tea spoon of oil, put mustard seeds. When mustard starts crackling add few curry leaves. Switch off the heat and spread the tempering on the tomato chutney.

This chutney goes very well with idli, dosas or vadas.

The Health Benefits of Eating Cooked Tomato :

Cooked tomato products can be many different things, including stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and ketchup. Tomatoes fall into the category of red and orange vegetables, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 recommends people eat more of them. While there are plenty of nutritious components in tomatoes, recent research has focused on specific phytochemicals such as lycopene, which occurs at higher levels in cooked tomatoes than in any other food.

Tomato Nutrition

Tomatoes are a low-calorie food, with only 33 calories in a large tomato. Tomatoes are high in vitamins C, A and K. They also contain high levels of potassium and manganese. Tomatoes are also a good source of fiber, which helps keep the digestive tract healthy by increasing stool bulk and preventing constipation. While cooking often reduces the levels of vitamins in tomatoes, some of these beneficial components remain intact. The tomato skins contain fiber and nutrients as well, so cooked tomato products with the skin are better than those without it.

Lycopene and Health

One of the most beneficial components in the tomato isn’t a vitamin or mineral, but the phytochemical lycopene. This compound, which gives tomatoes their distinctive red color, acts as an antioxidant in the body. Consuming high levels of lycopene can lower the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Cooking tomatoes for two minutes, a quarter-hour and a half-hour boosts the lycopene levels in tomatoes by 6, 17 and 35 percent, respectively, according to research published in the “Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry” in May 2002.

Cholesterol-Lowering Properties

A Meta-Analysis published in the April 2011 issue of “Maturitas” found that cooked tomato products could lower cholesterol at levels comparable to prescribed statins. Doses of 25 mg of lycopene a day lowered cholesterol levels by about 10 percent, according to the research. Getting this much lycopene from fresh tomatoes can be difficult, but it is easy to get this amount from tomato sauce or other cooked tomato products.

Nick’s kitchen medical Disclaimer:

• Nick’s kitchen is for Vegetarians. It sometimes provides education and support to individuals who want to become vegetarian, or move toward a more vegetarian diet.
• Nick’s kitchen provides some information on vegetarian and vegan diets to the best of their knowledge and abilities.
• Nick’s kitchen does not claim to be health care professional, nutritionist, nor does it claims to treat any illness through vegan or vegetarian diet.
• If you have a medical condition,Nick’s kitchen recommend that you consult your health care professionals before changing your diet.
• Any changes that you make to your diet, and the results of those changes, are your decision and your responsibility.

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