Tomato, a fruit or a vegetable? It is considered a fruit scientifically for the way they grow, and that is tomato forms from a flower and contain seeds, yet they are used mostly in cooking as a vegetable. The Supreme Court in the US declared tomato as a vegetable for its use in culinary. Tomato is my favourite vegetable, and I savour a tomato by cutting into two and sprinkling some sugar on it, absolutely delicious and a great idea for no-fire cooking according to me. Tomatoes have many health benefits, snd it is a home remedy for soft supple skin, and useful for regulating blood pressure. It is a solid source of many nutrients.
This fruity-vegetable is the talk of the country these days, and not for a good reason. The prices have shot just like our Chandrayaan-3, the highest was Rs. 141/kg as per reports. Cooking with tomatoes seem incomplete, so I use them frugally in my cooking as I cannot do without tomatoes. But there are alternatives for tomatoes, let us check them out.
Tamarind and Tamarind water, is a good alternative for the tangy taste.
Amla or Indian Gooseberry doesn’t only add flavour to the food but has health benefits as well.
Pumpkin can be used for its natural sweetness and texturally quite similar to the tomato.
Raw mango is another tangy and sweet fruit that can replace tomato if cooked right.
There are also dishes that do not require tomatoes, like;
Chitranna or Lemon rice
Puliyogare or Tamarind rice
Palak Paneer
Sambar
Cabbage stir fry
Jeera aloo/ Cumin Potato
Bhindi/Okra fry
Although there are replacements for tomatoes and there are dishes that do not require tomatoes, I will always be inclined towards tomatoes. With the rates being so high, I used them in lesser quantity than what is required, that way I get the flavour as well as save some money.
Hoping for the prices to come down soon, and then I can use my dear tomatoes to my heart’s content.