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.
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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 recipe require a few ingredients but the recipe is simple to make too. And if you love sweet-tangy-spicy curries you must try my mom's Masala Karela recipe.
Tomatoes
I like to use the egg-shaped, meaty plum tomatoes also known as Italian tomatoes or Roma tomatoes as they have fewer seeds and a relatively low water content that helps them hold up well after cooking. Available year-round, they bring out the sweetness when slow-cooked.
How to Make Stuffed Tomato Curry
Step 1: Prep
- Cut the tomatoes in half. 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 Roti or homemade parathas, and cucumber salad. I often serve it for parties or get-togethers. For a delicious vegetarian Indian menu pair it with:
Tips to Make the Best 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 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.
- 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
- Use a wide pan so there is plenty of room to easily move around the tomatoes for even cooking
More Indian Vegetarian Recipes
Recipe
Mom's Stuffed Tomatoes
Equipment
Recipe Video
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 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.
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 the 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.
Peter deSanctis says
Recipes excellent but site rambles... needs tightening
.
Archana says
Thank you! I am starting with tightening this recipe. If you have any more specific feedback I would love to hear it - [email protected] My goal is to make the blog and recipes user friendly and easy to navigate.
Ryan Moore says
I was a bit surprised by this recipe. It looked like it had potential, but I was a little skeptical. WRONG. It's brilliant. The tomatoes did burst in places, though it was not offensive. The flavors are sublime. It's a rich and aromatic dish that tickles a broad range of senses. I will absolutely make this again
Shwetha says
This is the best recipe ever!! Huge hit with my husband and friends. I like that the recipe uses minimal spices and ingredients . I have made it many times 🙂 thank you you and your mother for sharing this with us!
Archana says
I am SO glad you loved it as much as my family does. Thank you for the feedback
Mimi says
Hi, I am planning on trying this recipe as it looks delicious. I hope you don’t mind me asking and I may be missing something, but what is the purpose of reserving the scooped tomato pulp. Should it be added back with the stuffing mixture.
Archana Mundhe says
The scooping is only to make room in the tomatoes for the filling. I usually add it to other dishes but you can also add it to the pan after placing all the tomatoes for a little bit gravy.