YOU SAY TOMATO, I SAY....

Spring is here and so is my Allergy season!!;D A beautiful tree in my front yard.Aren't we all glad Winter is over at last?!


JFI, Tomatoes!!


Okay,Here I am with loads of Tomatoes! Phew! Last week was some week I tell ya, thought it would never end.So much work and so busy,it was hard to catch my breath!
Beautiful Tomatoes are RP from "my workshop" blog's choice for JFI for April.What a glamorous vegetable/fruit for this event,loved creating these recipes. Thank you RP for choosing Tomato and for hosting JFI for this month!:)




Before I start with my "Hanumanji ke Dhum"(Hanuman's tail) post as one of my reader calls it, I would like to share some 'Saturday Night Live' moments which kept me laughing last week with all of you!

1. Last week's letter for Nupur's A to Z cooking event was "I", for which I steamed some Idlies.Bee, a witty girl that she is, left a comment that "nice. very nice. I'm waiting for someone to make "ijjat papad" for 'I',that will be fun."!!;D I replied "Bee,I would like to keep my Ijjat and my Lijjat papads to myself,thank you very much!!" :P
2. Ayesha,another reader left a comment "Asha,Tried ur Kesar Murg .. It was awesome .. used a cup of saffron milk instead of coconut milk ....U should have also given the risks of making this dish,(I thought "UH OH!!") like burning ur nose while trying to inhale the irresistible smell :-) .... I literally burnt my nose while smelling it and i couldnt control the temptation to smell....It smelled so wonderful,I burned my nose trying to smell the dish while it's cooking!" :D For days,I imagined her eating Kesari Murgh with a red nose and made me laugh every time!!:D
3. I made Migas or Sundance Eggs for WBB "Eggs" event and Kate said "looks like one hell of a breakfast!very filling and yet tasty and easy to make.Have to make this for my hubby..."whats for breakfast honey... sundance eggs luv !" and I thought that was a hoot!;D
Thanks to all three of you for making me laugh on a truly hectic 10 days and this is why I love blogging so much.All your comments,not just these three, make me feel that blogging is worthwhile and I want ALL of you know that I truly appreciate you.There is no better reward than to enjoy what we do with a big open heart without malice!

That reminds me to tell you that I have decided NOT to open my blogroll and comment on weekends because I find myself little too much obsessed with it all!;D So if you don't see me in your blogs on Sat and Sunday,don't worry,I will catch up with you all on Monday!!Now that's said,let me start with...

Plum Tomatoes, my favorite kind among all of the Tomatoes!




The tomato is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, native to Central, South, and southern North America from Mexico to Peru.It is thought that the Pueblo people believed those who witnessed the ingestion of tomato seeds (got it?) were blessed with powers of divination!They are fruits rather vegetables and are high in Vitamin C and A,are said to prevent Cancer if consumed regularly.More a Wikipedia.





What's on Menu this week? Tomatoes, of course!!
Tomato Chicken,
Tomato Bhaat,
Tomato Salad,
Focaccia al Rosemarino con Olive e Pomodoro!(Olive and Sun-dried Tomatoes Focaccia with Rosemary)

Here is my official entry to JFI; Tomato Chicken:

You Need:
3 chicken breasts and 2 thighs cut up to bite sized pieces,1 cup tomato sauce,2 large plum tomatoes sliced,2 large onions,sliced into half rings,3 green chillies sliced in halves,few fresh curry leaves,1 small bunch of coriander leaves ,turmeric , 1.2 tsp sugar and salt to taste.
To grind: 1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp peppercorns,2" cinnamon (Dalchini),1/2 tsp Cardamom seeds, 4 cloves, 1" ginger,3 garlic.
For seasoning: 2 tbsp cup oil, 1 bay leaf.
How to:
1. Heat oil in a pressure pan,add Bay leaf,onion and green chillies,saute until reddish on the edges.Add in all the ground paste,fry for 2 mins.
2. Add chicken,fry for 5mins until they are white,add Tomato sauce,1 cup water,salt,cilantro and 1/2 tsp sugar.Mix and pressure cook on low heat for 5 mins and turn it off.
3. Open the lid,add 2 sliced Tomatoes and simmer until you see the oil on the surface,garnish with few chopped coriander,1 tbsp butter and serve hot with white rice.
4. Your fabulous tasting Tomato Chicken is ready to devour.Make the sauce thick to serve with Parathas and thin to serve with rice.

Another peek:


My yummy Ugadi special; Tomato Bhaat, Bengaluru style!:D


You Need:
2 cups rice cooked and cooled, 1 large onion sliced to half rings,6-8 Plum tomatoes,1/4 tsp turmeric, a handful of fresh coriander, a few cashew nuts, salt to taste, 1 tbsp coriander seed powder, 1 tsp cumin seeds powder.
Grind to Paste: 3 garlic cloves,1" inch ginger, 3 red chillies, 1/2 onion lightly roasted ,cilantro,4 cloves, 1/2 tsp cardamoms, 1" cinnamon stick.
Seasoning:2 tbsp ghee,1 tsp Cumin seeds, 2 bay leaves,few Cashews,raisins,2 green chillies.
How to make it:
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in big pan enough to hold 2 cups cooked rice,fry the sliced onions with a pinch of salt until crisp and reddish,keep it aside.Cook rice seperately,spread it on a wide plate to cool.
2. Add butter to the pan,put in all the seasoning ingredients,saute for a min.Add Tomatoes,coriander pd and cumin pd,cook until little soft.
3. Add ground masala and cook until thick and you see the oil on top.Add salt and cilantro,adjust the spices and turn the heat down.
4. Add the cooled rice,mix well and taste it to check the salt.Add crisp fried Onion,cilantro, mix well.Serve with a Salad and some crisps or Vadas.

Seasoned Cherry Tomatoes-Yogurt Salad/Raita:

Here is a wonderful, refreshing Summer salad I made, with my home grown Cherry Tomatoes.It's very typical Kannadiga raita/pachadi which can be eaten with plain rice too.It is an easy eye pleasing salad which is also healthy and delicious to eat.Take advantage of summer sun and put those beautiful cherry tomatoes to work! Goes very well with any spicy dish you have or as a light lunch on it's own.Tastes delicious if kept in the fridge for a day and goes well with just plain rice on a hot summer day.

You Need:
2 Cups of sliced Cherry Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
1/4 Cup Red Onion chopped
Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp garlic Powder
Cilantro

Season: ( Optional)
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
Curry Leaves
1 Fresh Green chilly, chopped or chilly flakes

How To:
1. Mix all the above and serve chilled. Add salt just before serving.
2. To make it even more tastier, you could season it. Heat oil, add mustard seeds,curry leaves,1 chopped green chilly.Add to the salad.
3. Keep it refrigerated until needed.

Focaccia al Rosemarino con Olive e Pomodoro!
Focaccia is a flat, rustic and chewy Italian herb bread served with cold cuts as a Sandwich.Also makes a great appetizer on it's own as well!


Here is my Bread Machine version of Focaccia:

1 1/2 pound dough, you need:
1 cup warm water,3 cups Bread flour,1 tsp sugar,1 tsp salt,1 1/2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil,1 tsp dried Rosemary,1 1/2 tsp Red Star active yeast,3 pieces of Sun-dried Tomatoes chopped finely.
Topping: 12 Black Olives sliced, 1tsp grainy Kosher salt,6 pieces Sun-dried Tomatoes chopped,3 tbsp olive oil to brush, 1 clove garlic sliced, 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese(optional),2 tbsp chopped fresh Rosemary.(Saute 1 red onion sliced in to rings with 1 garlic and little salt for smalled round version)

How I baked Focaccia:
Add all the ingredients except toppings in the bread machine on dough cycle and wait for the beep!! Take the dough out,spread on a cookie sheet brushed with some Olive oil,with your hands gently stretch and press dough to fit evenly or half way in the pan about 1" thickness.Cover and let it rise in the warm oven 30-40 minutes until doubled.
Preheat oven to 400F. With two fingers, poke holes all over the dough.Brush with olive oil and sprinkle Kosher salt, and bake for 10 mins,slide the pan out and quickly add the other toppings on top,press gently and bake again for 10-15 more mins or until reddish.Do the same for round ones,top with sauteed onion rings and garlic.Remove and cool on a wire rack.Cut into squares and serve warm or slice horizontally,add lunch meat and cheese for a yummy Sandwich!Place it in a Zip lock bag to keep it fresh at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.Enjoy :)

Focaccia squares made with Rosemary,Black Olives and Sun-dried Tomatoes:

Bread Machine method and ingredients differ slightly than for hand made Focaccia dough. For those who don't have Bread Machine, here is a wonderful site by Anna Maria Volpi with step by step photos and even more beautiful Focaccia than mine.I didn't use that recipe but I hope you really try to make some either way and enjoy the delicious Focaccia.

Grazie ed il arrivederci!!
(Yeah, googled it for "Thank you and bye". Hope it's right orelse I will get smacked on the head by Italians!;P)

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Some pics of Spring flowers from my yard:


Enjoy!:))