Stuffed tomatoes is a gorgeous, 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. Best part is that not only does this healthy recipe require a few ingredients but the recipe is simple to make too!
Tomatoes are rich in fiber, and are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K. Tomatoes are also rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease as well as cancer. Here’s a quick trivia – tomato is grown as a fruit, but it is cooked and eaten like a vegetable.
Best tomatoes to use for Indian Vegetarian Stuffed Tomato Recipe:
I like to use the egg-shaped, meaty plum tomatoes also known as Italian tomatoes or Roma tomatoes for these reasons:
- fewer seeds
- relatively low water content that helps them hold up well after cooking
- mildly acidic with robust flavors
- brings out the sweetness when slow roasted/cooked
- available year around (although best during summer time)
Mom’s pro tips for making stuffed tomatoes:
- Make sure to pick ripe but firm tomatoes that are all about the same size
- Plum tomatoes work best for this recipe but feel free to try your favorite variety
- 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.
- Grate the jaggery so it gets evenly mixed in the filling
- Chop the onions as fine as you can, I like yellow onions in this recipe but sweet onions work well too
- Make sure to use a wide pan so the tomatoes are not crowded and can be easily moved around for even cooking
I have learnt and mastered this special recipe from my mom, and I am so excited to finally share it with you. When my mom visited me this past summer, I recorded a video while the pro made this yummilicious recipe herself! Check out her step by step recipe.
Here is mom showing how to make the best stuffed tomatoes:
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 hot!
Although the stuffed tomatoes pair well with homemade parathas, these delicious tomatoes also can be served with:
Wondering about this gorgeous stainless-steel frying pan we used to make this recipe? It is from Mealthy and is great not only for frying but also for making these stir fry dishes. Check out my full detailed review on this pan in the easy shankarpali recipe. Feel free to use coupon code “MINISTRYOFCURRY” to get $10 off on the frying pan or other the Mealthy products.
This is not a sponsored post. Mealthy generously sent me this pan to test. 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:
Here are a few stir fry recipes that are delicious and cooked to perfection in the Mealthy frying pan:
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Mom’s Stuffed Tomatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 plum tomatoes
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced
- ¼ cup shredded coconut frozen and unsweetened (available in indian grocery stores)
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon 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
- 1/8 teaspoon asafetida hing (optional)
- 1/4 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
- Make sure to chop the onions finely so they get cooked properly with the steam in the pan
- Can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 to 4 days
- To reheat simply microwave them or reheat on stovetop
- Once cooled, I pick them up with my hands as it prevents the delicate tomatoes from breaking apart
Nutrition
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Kunj shah says
Tied it today and it’s really good. A break from elaborate recipes that take a long time to get past.
Thanks, love it! And it’s making its way into dinners often, I can tell.