Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney

Our neighbours and friends grow beautiful blemish-free tomatoes during the summer and we are blessed with their bounty. The 6 yr-old boy next door with the help of his friend set up a little table by the curbside, giving away the cutest home-grown cherry tomatoes. They were free, we were told, with the only stipulation that only 8 tomatoes were allowed per person. They provided the ziploc bags and the two boys had the time of their lives, waving down passing cars and neighbours taking a walk.

Another friend invited me over for lunch and filled up a whole bag with plum tomatoes that looked like mini-roma tomatoes. Yet another friend grew regular-size roma tomatoes, so all this bounty resulted in a delicious chutney.

Mum made this chutney on festive occasions which is where the recipe is derived. I used a quarter pound of date jaggery (khejur-er gur in Bengali) which gave the chutney a depth of flavour that is almost impossible to achieve with plain sugar. The jaggery combined with very thin slivers of ginger, diced tomatoes and raisins were all that were needed to make this chutney. 

It was easy to make and basically cooked on medium-low heat with little intervention. Served as an accompaniment to any Indian meal, this chutney gives a festive air to a gathering of friends to celebrate the fall season.

Green Beans Alu Posto - Green Beans & Potatoes in White Poppy Seed Sauce

Green Beans Alu Posto

Green beans are plentiful at the market throughout the year. Make sure to pick up at least a pound because they reduce considerably during cooking. The white poppy seeds need to be soaked in boiling water and left to cool at room temperature before blending to a smooth paste.

Fresh Green Beans

The mound of green beans looks pretty daunting at first, and it would be awfully tedious to remove the stem and tail ends one bean at a time.

Ready to chop

However, they are easily dealt with if they are lined up, ten at a time, and chopped up in batches. Line up the stem ends and remove with one slice of the knife. For this preparation, I cut the beans into small 1/2" lengths and removed the tail ends.

Recycle those Plastic Bags

Here's how I recycle those plastic bags in which vegetables are packed. Lined inside a deep bowl all the vegetable scraps can be disposed of and the bag easily lifted out and thrown away with minimal fuss.

Red Lentils Cooked With Ginger

Ada Diye Masoorir Dal

Candied Ginger

A great mouth freshener after eating Burmese or any food. Tidbits of ginger cooked in a simple syrup, dried on a rack and then tossed in granulated sugar, this finger-food is very easy to make at home.

Burmese Ginger Salad

Set Hna Myo Gin Thoke
12 Ingredient Ginger Salad

A refreshing salad made from julienned strips of ginger, along with 12 other ingredients.  All the fresh ingredients are cut in the same size and shape. If fried onions and garlic are not available in your area, you will have to take the time to slice and fry them yourself.  The shrimp floss is made by pounding dried shrimp until they turn to a powdery floss. I make my own garlic-onion-chili oil by filling a bottle with a cup of fried garlic and onions & 2 Tbsp. red chili flakes and pouring hot Crisco oil to fill the bottle.  Allow the oil to cool a little before pouring in the bottle so the bottle doesn't crack from the heat. Store at room temperature for an indefinite period of time.