Cherry Tomato Pachadi (Cherry tomato Chutney)

Cherry tomatoes have lately become my absolute favorite. I buy a big tub of them from BJ's and use them in different dishes. They are so juicy and have just the perfect taste. I planted a cherry tomato plant in my garden this year, I'm waiting for my harvest.

After adding them to salads, pastas and other non-Indian dishes, I wanted to make something Indian with them. After a quick call to my mom, I set out to make this quick, easy and tasty cherry tomato pachadi.

This chutney can be made with other tomato varieties too. But cherry tomatoes being small and slightly thick skinned give the chutney a nice texture without getting too mushy. This chutney is great to serve with rice, idli, dosa, upma and even roti. 

Ingredients:

Cherry tomatoes - 2cups

Green Chilies - 1~2 (adjust as per taste)

Garlic cloves - 2, thinly sliced

Red Chili powder - 1tsp (or more to taste)

Turmeric - ¼tsp
Salt - to taste

For Tempering:
Chana dal - 1tsp
Urad dal - 1tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Fenugreek seeds - ¼tsp
Dry red chilies - 2

Method:

• Wash the tomatoes well and wipe them dry. Keep 1 cup of the tomatoes whole and cut the remaining 1cup into halves.
• Heat 2tbsp oil in a pan; add the tempering ingredients and once the seeds start to splutter, add garlic and green chilies. Cook for about 1 minute or until garlic turns golden.
• Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan, cover and cook till the whole tomatoes burst and the remaining get mushy.
• Stir in turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Cook till the mixture thickens a little bit. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: July -- Week 2'.