Just as the secret of baigan choka is the tenderness and freshness of the young baigan you choose, the key to fragrant sweet tomato choka is the tomato. I go for the smaller tomato - like those that are plentiful now, in the dry season. They are egg sized, firm and red, sun-ripened on the vine, and sweet. Keep them on the counter - no need to refrigerate - and they continue to ripen as the days go by. After maybe a week has passed, that's when they are ready for choka!
If you have a gas flame, you can skewer one or two at a time on a long fork, and roast over the flame. Have a bowl ready to drop them into after their skins have blistered and burst. You should be able to slip the remaining tomato skins off easily. Have ready a few cloves of garlic, pounded to remove the skins, a chopped onion and two or three pieces of hot pepper to your taste. In another pot, heat a little oil and when it is just smoking, toss in all the seasonings and chunkay until the onions are translucent. Add your roasted tomato. Salt lightly. Mix together briskly and remove from heat. Serve as a side to curries; with roti or bread.
Roasting over flame could be messy - but there's no comparison for that smoky roast tomato flavour. To cook your tomatoes in the oven, just slice the stem dimple off each tomato and pierce in a few places with a fork. Put six or seven in a bowl and microwave for six or seven minutes until they are cooked, and the skins slip off. Add to your chunkayed seasonings with a sprinkle of salt to taste.
Tomatoes, 8 to 10 whole
Garlic, 3 or 4 cloves, sliced into two or three pieces
Onion, large, chopped
Hot pepper, whole with seeds for a very hot choka; without seeds for a milder choka
Olive oil, half cup
Salt to taste
Microwave method:
Pierce tomatoes all over with fork. Remove the stem end of each tomato and push in a piece of garlic.
Cover and cook altogether in a bowl for one minute for each tomato, in the microwave. Six tomatoes for six minutes etc.
When you remove from the microwave - careful, very hot! - slip skins off and mash tomatoes with onion, hot pepper, salt to taste and olive oil. Let sit for a few minutes for flavours to gel.
Oven method:
Pierce tomatoes and stuff with garlic. Arrange on a tray and broil for ten minutes until the skins are seared. Slip skins off - some people like the skins on; you can choose. Mash with other ingredients, and let sit for a while.
Serve with roti, dhalpuri or buss up shot!
If you have a gas flame, you can skewer one or two at a time on a long fork, and roast over the flame. Have a bowl ready to drop them into after their skins have blistered and burst. You should be able to slip the remaining tomato skins off easily. Have ready a few cloves of garlic, pounded to remove the skins, a chopped onion and two or three pieces of hot pepper to your taste. In another pot, heat a little oil and when it is just smoking, toss in all the seasonings and chunkay until the onions are translucent. Add your roasted tomato. Salt lightly. Mix together briskly and remove from heat. Serve as a side to curries; with roti or bread.
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| The riper the tomato the sweeter the choka! |
Roasting over flame could be messy - but there's no comparison for that smoky roast tomato flavour. To cook your tomatoes in the oven, just slice the stem dimple off each tomato and pierce in a few places with a fork. Put six or seven in a bowl and microwave for six or seven minutes until they are cooked, and the skins slip off. Add to your chunkayed seasonings with a sprinkle of salt to taste.
Tomatoes, 8 to 10 whole
Garlic, 3 or 4 cloves, sliced into two or three pieces
Onion, large, chopped
Hot pepper, whole with seeds for a very hot choka; without seeds for a milder choka
Olive oil, half cup
Salt to taste
Microwave method:
Pierce tomatoes all over with fork. Remove the stem end of each tomato and push in a piece of garlic.
Cover and cook altogether in a bowl for one minute for each tomato, in the microwave. Six tomatoes for six minutes etc.
When you remove from the microwave - careful, very hot! - slip skins off and mash tomatoes with onion, hot pepper, salt to taste and olive oil. Let sit for a few minutes for flavours to gel.
Oven method:
Pierce tomatoes and stuff with garlic. Arrange on a tray and broil for ten minutes until the skins are seared. Slip skins off - some people like the skins on; you can choose. Mash with other ingredients, and let sit for a while.
Serve with roti, dhalpuri or buss up shot!
...this sounds simple to prepare and delicious,...now tomatoes are plentiful, so I try and make some to eat with a curry dish. That hot pepper with garlic and onions are such simple and tasty seasoning.
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