Tomato Herb Chutney

Luscious red tomatoes paired with fragrant coriander, the result is a flavourful chutney. My younger one wanted tomato chutney and the elder one wanted a green chutney; I was running short of time and threw both together – result was something all of us liked !

You need

1. Ripe red tomatoes ( any variety) - 2 big or 3 medium
2. Green chillies – 3 (can add or reduce according to taste and heat)
3. Coriander leaves – chopped roughly, 1 cup
4. Fresh Coconut – grated,  1/4 cup
5. Salt – 1/2 tsp
6. Vegetable oil – 1/4 tsp

For seasoning

1. Vegetable oil – 1/4 tsp
2. Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
3. Urad dal – 1/4 tsp
4. Hing powder – a tiny pinch
5. Curry leaves – 4-5 torn up

 To assemble

1. Wash and pat dry tomatoes. Quarter them.
2. Wash green chillies and chop up.
3. Remove roots of coriander, rinse thoroughly, drain and chop roughly.
4. Grate coconut, measure out 1/4 cup.
5. Heat up oil in a small frying pan, add green chillies, step aside.
6. Tip in chopped tomatoes, toss to coat oil evenly.
7. Add the salt now, and fry for  a minute more.
8. When the tomatoes are squishy, (in a minute or two) add the chopped coriander and switch off flame.
9. Let it cool, add grated coconut and grind to get a fragrant chutney.
10. Heat oil, add ingredients for seasoning in order and pour over chutney.
11. Serve with flair as accompaniment for idli, dosa, paratha, steamed rice, sandwiches, well, just about anything!

 
Nutri notes

• Coriander (both leaves and seed) help regulate blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin production.
• Volatile oils found in the leaves seem to have antimicrobial properties.
• Coriander reduces lipid peroxides in cell membranes, thus inhibiting free radical formation.
• In a study conducted on rats fed with high fat diet, adding coriander to the diet increased the HDL and lowered levels of LDL cholesterol.
• Besides these benefits, coriander is also good source of dietary fibre, magnesium, manganese and fair source of iron.
• A compound called dodecenal isolated from coriander, has been found to be more effective than antibiotics in fighting salmonella infection.
• A drink of coriander seeds boiled with water  (in the proportion of 2 tbsp seeds per litre of water) cures urinary tract infection rapidly.
• Apart from these amazing uses of coriander, it is also a flavanoid and phytonutrient dense food. I guess all this information will prompt us to use more of coriander in our daily foods.
• Benefits of tomatoes have been discussed earlier, hence I am not repeating it here.
• Addition of coconut, though minimal, will increase the fat content of the chutney. One alternative is to use chutney dal in place of coconut. The taste does differ, but provides a healthier alternative.