Aloo Bhare Tamatar (Stuffed Tomato Curry)

Tomatoes are stuffed with boiled potatoes and peas; and cooked in spinach gravy.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium size Tomatoes
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• Finely chopped Cilantro leaves to garnish
• 1 tbsp fried crispy onion slices to garnish

Stuffing:

• 1 cup boiled diced potato
• ½ cup green peas
• 1 Onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 1 green chili chopped finely
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp chopped green cilantro leaves
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp chat masala
• Salt to taste

Gravy:

• 1 cup sliced onion
• ½ cup spinach leaves chopped and boiled
• 1 tbsp garlic chopped
• 1 tsp ginger chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp Gram Masala to taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method:

• Prepare stuffing: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry onion until golden brown. Add green peas, cook for 3-4 minutes; add all other ingredients required for stuffing. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Cut the top of tomato like a cap. Gently scoop out the centers. Chop the centers and cap; keep aside to be used later for gravy.
• Fill scooped tomatoes with the ‘matar aloo’ mixture.
• Put all the ingredients for gravy along with chopped tops and centers of the tomatoes, in a blender. Add ½ cup water and blend until you have a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a heavy wide pot over a medium flame. Add the contents of the blender to the oil.
• Fry, stirring constantly, for about 10-12 minutes, or until paste (masala) turns dark, greenish brown shade and the oil begins to separate from the masala.
• Now add 2-3 cups of the water and bring to a boil.
• Slowly add stuffed tomatoes. Cover the pan, lower heat, and simmer gently for 5-6 minutes until tomatoes are just tender. Do not over cook.
• Garnish with fried onion slices and chopped cilantro.
• Serve the stuffed aloo matar tomato with hot paratha.

Do You Know?
Tomatoes are low in calories.
They contain a high level of Antioxidants. Some recent studies tend to show that antioxidants such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Superoxide dismutase will slow the process of aging by preventing free radicals from oxidising sensitive biological molecules or reducing the formation of free radicals.
They are also linked to a reduced risk of heart attack and they are a good source of vitamin C and E.
The main phytochemical found in tomatoes is lycopene.