Tomato Pickle with Oven Roasted Tomatoes

As I mentioned in my previous post, tomato pickle is usually prepared by first sun drying the tomatoes and then frying and coating them with spices. Since the availability of sunshine and heat is no longer a luxury in some places, I thought I would experiment by roasting/baking the tomatoes instead of sun drying. 

I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with the results. If you have tasted sun-dried tomatoes, you must be familiar with the tangy,  concentrated flavor that comes through. So, tossing such intensely flavored tomatoes in spices, enhances the overall taste of the pickle - in a good way. And good news is, these tomatoes are not as chewy as sun-dried tomatoes. 

So, all in all, this was a successful experiment, and is way easier than the instant version I shared in my previous post.

Ingredients:

1. 12-13 tomatoes, chopped (enough to fill a full baking/cookie sheet tray)
2. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
3. 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
4. 1/2 teaspoon hing / asafoetida
5. 2 - 3 teaspoons chilli powder
6. 1/2 teaspoon roasted fenugreek powder (dry roast fenugreek seeds until color changes and grind to a powder)
7. 3 tablespoons sesame oil
8. 1/2 teaspoon sugar
9. salt, as needed

Preparation:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the baking sheet of tomatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are wilted and there is hardly any moisture. (Please drizzle a little oil over the tomatoes before baking if you are worried about drying the tomatoes too much)
2. In a pan, heat the sesame oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add hing and turmeric and mix into the oil
3. Add the roasted/dried tomatoes and fry with the spices on medium heat. Season with salt and chilli powder and saute/fry for 5 minutes
4. Finally add roasted fenugreek powder and sugar and cook for another couple of minutes on low heat. Remove from heat

When cool, store in a clean, dry container. Just to be doubly safe, store in the fridge and add more sesame oil to it to prolong shelf life.