Tomato Pickle My Grandma Style

1. Wash the ripe tomatoes and air dry them on a clean towel for more than 30 minutes.

2. Once done wipe each tomatoes with a clean dish towel and keep it aside.

3. Now cut the fully dried tomatoes into 8 pcs each. Transfer it to a glass or ceramic container.

4. Then Salt the tomatoes and mix them well with a clean dry wooden spoon.

5. Cover the tomatoes and allow it to marinate for at least 2 days.

6. Make sure to stir it once every morning & before bed using a clean dry wooden spoon.

7. On day 3 you will notice tomatoes have released most of its liquid. Now is the time to dry them.

1. Prepare a clean plate or a cloth to dry these tomatoes.

2. Squeeze out the liquid as much as possible. Feel free to use your clean dry hands too.

3. Transfer the tomatoes to the clean cloth, while the tomato juice/ liquid is still in the container.

4. Add tamarind to the juice and mix well.

5. Now allow the tomatoes & its juice mixture to sundry for about 4-5 days. nature to do its course while you relax.

6. Make sure to remove it from your terrace and keep it in dry place at nights and on a sunny place in the day times. Repeat this step until day 5 or until the tomatoes get dried skin and still slightly moist flesh.

7. Meanwhile toss the tomatoes and stir the juice/ liquid every once in a while. I would recommend at least three times a day.

1. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting.

2. Take a clean oven tray & line it with a butter paper.

3. Squeeze out the liquid as much as possible. Feel free to use your clean dry hands too.

4. Transfer the tomatoes to the clean tray & the tomato juice/ liquid to a wide oven safe container.

5. Add tamarind to the juice and mix well.

6. Now allow the tomatoes & its juice mixture to dehydrate in the oven for about 4-5 days. Do not get tempted to increase the temperature to more than 75 degree C. Or else the tomatoes will get cooked rather than dried.

7. Make sure to remove it from your oven and keep it in dry place at nights and Place it back in during the day. Repeat this step until day 5 or until the tomatoes get dried skin and still slightly moist flesh.

8. Meanwhile toss the tomatoes and stir the juice/ liquid every once in a while. I would recommend at least three times a day.

1. By day 5 the tomatoes would have got dry skin, but still slightly moist flesh. The Tamarind juice would have also reduced and must have become thick & concentrated.

2. In a pan dry roast Mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and grind it into a slightly coarse powder.

3. In a Mixe jar add the tamarind liquid and grind into a fine paste.

4. Then add the dried tomatoes, turmeric, chili powder & the prepared mustard powder to the jar and pulse it few times until you get your desired consistency. We like it to be coarse so we could get a bite of the tomatoes.

5. Heat up a heavy bottom pan/ kadai. Add Oil, garlic and sauté for few minutes on a low flame until the garlic turns slightly golden.

6. Switch off the flame, Add hing, curry leaves immediately and also the tomato paste. Mix all together and remove from the stove. we just want to make sure there is no residual moisture in the pickle.

7. Enjoy the hot and spicy pickle right away or even better to rest for few hours.

8. Store it in a glass/ ceramic jar and use clean dry spoon every time. My granny stores it at room temperature for about 6 months. I could store it in room temperature for about 1 month. Since I make a small batch we finish it off quickly. The key no moisture. Until you add enough oil and salt to the pickle it should be good for longer periods. Or for security you could store it in fridge too.

1. Using clean & dry utensils is of high priority.
2. Try using Glass/ ceramic containers, since they cannot leash any metals into the food.
3. Use clean & dry wooden spoon every time.
4. If you live in a cold region like me go ahead with oven method. They are equally great. Just make sure the oven settings are right and not to increase it to speed up the process.
5. Adding recommended salt helps to preserve the pickle.
6. You could add more salt at the end of the process.
7. Adding recommended oi helps to preserve the pickle.
8. If you think your pickle is too dry, You could heat up more oil separately and allow the oil to cool and add it at the end of the process.
9. On the other hand if your pickle is too watery cook the mixture until it thickens.
10. Store it in a glass/ ceramic jar and use clean dry spoon every time. My granny stores it at room temperature for about 6 months. I could store it in room temperature for about 1 month. Since I make a small batch we finish it off quickly. The key no moisture. Until you add enough oil and salt to the pickle it should be good for longer periods. Or for security you could store it in fridge too.
11. Once its refrigerated do not try to keep it room temperature for more than 3 days.