Green tomato is the unripe tomatoes, which is the fruit of the plant Lycopersicon lycopersicum and is a member of the Solanaceae, or Nightshade family. Green tomatoes have fleshy internal segments filled with slippery seeds surrounded by a watery matrix. Cooking tempers the acid and bitter qualities in tomatoes and brings out their warm, rich, sweetness. Although green tomatoes are wonderful when cooked or pickled, they should be avoided in large amounts when raw.
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Home-grown tomatoes are usually the best, but if you have to buy them, look for firm ones and pay attention to the fragrance. White specks mean they have been forced to ripen artificially.
Culinary Uses of green tomatoes, hara tamatar, hare tamatar in Indian Cooking
green tomatoes used in Indian kadhi
Green tomato kadhi is tangy and spicy kadhi with combination of green tomatoes and green chillies. It is thickened with coconut. Serve hot with roti or rice.
green tomatoes used in Indian sabzi
In this innovative variant of the traditional Gujarati preparation Sev Tameta nu Shaak, we bring together two unusual ingredients into a quick vegetable dish, which is so easy you can prepare it as a surprise for sudden guests too. Make the Green Tomato and Bhujia Vegetable just before serving, else the bhujia will become soggy and the unique texture and mouth-feel of the dish will be lost.
green tomatoes used to make salsa
This is an unusual
green tomatoes salsa made with green tomatoes and other standard ingredients like ginger, garlic and green chillies. To be eaten with nacho chips.
The characteristic and unique tanginess of green tomatoes together with these spicy ingredients has a really mouth-watering effect, which kindles your appetite and literally makes you drool.
green sauce made for Mexican food
This
Mexican Green Sauce for Tacos, on the other hand, is a tangy sauce made with crisp green tomatoes spiked up with chillies. Store, and use as a dressing, spread or a dip, as required.
· Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 - 1/2-inch slices. Salt and pepper them to taste. Dip in meal and fry in hot grease or oil about 3 minutes or until golden on bottom. Gently turn and fry the other side. Serve as a side dish - delicious with breakfast
· There are plenty of ways to coat and fry the green tomatoes; use bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, cornmeal, or flour
· Green tomatoes make for excellent pickles and can be added to any salad to add their tangy taste. Green tomato ketchup and pies are also delicacy.
· Green tomatoes can be used to prepare chutneys with green chillies and sugar or simply soak them in vinegar to prepare tomato vinaigrettes.
How to store green tomatoes, hara tamatar, hare tamatar
If you have an abundance of good fresh green tomatoes, freeze them whole. Just wash, dry, and put them in freezer bags. They'll retain their flavor, and once thawed the peel will slip off easily. Use them in any recipes calling for fresh tomatoes except salads.
Health benefits of green tomatoes, hara tamatar, hare tamatar
Green tomatoes, like many other vegetables are low in calories and carbs and thus a wise choice for weight watchers. Green tomatoes are also high in vitamin C (concentrated the most in the juice sacs surrounding the seeds) which is a key nutrient to build immunity as well as maintain skin health and eye health. The vitamin C is a crucial nutrient to prevent chronic disease like heart disease and cancer too. They also contain good amounts of potassium, iron, phosphorus and fibre. Their low carb count along with low glycemic index and low glycemic load makes them suitable for diabetics too.
Chopped green tomatoes
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Take a sharp knife, slice it from the top and then cut it into half from the centre. Cut the half portion into another half and remove the seeds from centre. Chop the tomato by cutting them in small pieces approximately ¼ inch in diameter, although the chopped food doesn't need to be exactly the same size. If the recipe calls for the ingredients to be "coarsely chopped," make the pieces slightly larger. You can chop both green and red tomatoes in the same way mentioned above. If the recipe calls for peeled and chopped you can also chop a tomato by removing its skin and then chopping it to desired size as the recipe calls for.
Green tomato halves
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Wash the green tomatoes thoroughly under cold water. With a sharp knife, halve the green tomato crosswise. To make any stuffed dish, use a rounded spoon handle, scoop out any remaining seeds and discard them.
Sliced green tomatoes
Wash the green tomato and slice it from the top to remove its eye. Then holding the green tomato vertically on a chopping board, cut it into half from the centre using a sharp knife. Deseed it if necessary and then slice them thinly or thickly as the recipe requirement. They are often used as a garnish or for salad.