Mom's famous Stuffed Tomatoes

Stuffed tomatoes are a spicy, sweet, and tangy dish, made using onion, coconut, and warming spices such as turmeric, and garam masala. Add it to your dinner spread, and watch your feast come alive with a burst of color and flavors. This easy vegan dish is ready in under 30 minutes and is an awesome recipe for entertaining too.

Stuffed tomatoes for everyone else. But I call this dish, “mom’s famous stuffed tomatoes that everyone loves”. I say this because, whenever my mom visits me in the USA, my friends literally bee-line for a meal of piping hot stuffed tomatoes served with hot parathas, that she indulgently makes for them. The best part is that not only does this healthy recipe require a few ingredients but the recipe is simple to make too!

Tomatoes

Rich in fiber tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K. Tomatoes are also rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease as well as cancer.

I like to use the egg-shaped, meaty plum tomatoes also known as Italian tomatoes or Roma tomatoes as they have fewer seeds and have a relatively low water content that helps them hold up well after cooking. Available year-round, they bring out the sweetness when slow-cooked.

Tips

Mom's pro tips for best stuffed tomatoes:

1. Make sure to pick ripe but firm tomatoes that are all about the same size
2. Plum tomatoes work best for this recipe but feel free to try your favorite variety
3. Sometimes the tops of the tomatoes are not flat. Place the top side down to make sure that they are flat, if not shave off the uneven top so the tomato can be placed flat. Similarly, shave off some from the pointy side so that it can be placed upright while cooking.
4. Grate the jaggery so it gets evenly mixed in the filling
5. Chop the onions as fine as you can, I like yellow onions in this recipe but sweet onions work well too
6. Use a wide pan so there is plenty of room to easily move around the tomatoes for even cooking

Process

Step 1: Prep

• Cut the tomatoes in half and partially scoop out the inside and reserve. Note: Sometimes the tops of the tomatoes are not flat. Place the top side down to see if they are flat, if not shave off the uneven top so the tomato can be placed flat. Similarly, shave off some from the pointy side so that it can be placed upright while cooking.

Step 2: Stuffing

• In a medium bowl add onion, coconut, salt, jaggery, red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, and cilantro and mix well.
• Fill the hollowed tomatoes with the stuffing. You can use a spoon or fill them with your hands as my mom does. Press down on the filling gently so you can stuff more inside each tomato.

Step 3: Cook

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add asafetida and lower the heat.
• Carefully place the stuffed tomatoes in the pan facing the stuffed side up. Cook covered on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Note: Depending on the size of the tomatoes and the heat level you use, it may take up to 10 to 12 minutes to cook the tomatoes. Cook them just until you can easily cut through each one with a fork.

Garnish with remaining cilantro and enjoy hot!

Serving

Stuffed tomatoes pair well with homemade parathas and cucumber salad. I often serve it for parties or get-togethers. For a delicious vegetarian Indian menu pair it with:

• Palak Paneer
• Dal Makhani
• Jeera Rice
• Beet Raita

Here are a few other vegetarian Indian recipes you will love:

• Stuffed Okra
• Stir Fried Tendli ki Sabzi
• Aloo Beans Curry
• Cabbage Stir Fry

The stainless-steel frying pan used to make this recipe is from Mealthy and is great not only for frying but also for making these stir fry dishes. Both my mom and I loved cooking in this pan as it is sturdy, stable, and easy to clean. Here are some Diwali recipes that we made in it:

• Spinach Sev
• Chakli
• Besan Ladoo

Recipe

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Mom's Stuffed Tomatoes

A spicy, sweet and tangy tomato recipe, made with onion, coconut and spices such as mustard seeds, turmeric and garam masala.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Brunch, dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 6

Calories: 102kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Equipment

• Stainless steel pot

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 plum tomatoes
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion finely diced
• ▢ ¼ cup shredded coconut frozen and unsweetened (available in indian grocery stores)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons jaggery grated
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon asafetida hing (optional)
• ▢ ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Prep the tomatoes

• Cut the tomatoes in half and partially scoop out the inside and reserve. Note: Sometimes the tops of the tomatoes are not flat. Place the top side down to see if they are flat, if not shave off the uneven top so the tomato can be placed flat. Similarly shave off some from pointy side so that it can be placed upright while cooking.

Step 2: Stuffing

• In a medium bowl add onion, coconut, salt, jaggery, red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala and cilantro and mix well.
• Fill the hallowed tomatoes with the stuffing. You can use a spoon or fill them with your hands like my mom does. Press down on the filling gently so you can stuff more inside each tomato.

Step 3: Cook the stuffed tomatoes

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add asafetida and lower the heat.
• Carefully place the stuffed tomatoes in the pan facing the stuffed side up. Cook covered on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Note: Depending on the size of the tomatoes and the heat level you use, it may take up to 10 to 12 minutes to cook the tomatoes. Cook them just until you can easily cut through each one with a fork. Garnish with remaining cilantro and enjoy with homemade parathas.

Video

Notes

1. Make sure to chop the onions finely so they get cooked properly with the steam in the pan 
2. Can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 to 4 days
3. To reheat simply microwave them or reheat on the stovetop
4. Once cooled, I pick them up with my hands as it prevents the delicate tomatoes from breaking apart

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 800mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 759IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

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