The East Indian Tomato Kusondi is a much lovelier version of the regular Maharastrian tamtar kusandi; using almost the same ingredients, but with a lot more zing.
It’s the perfect accompaniment for lunch or dinner, and can also go well with just bread, chappatis or toast.
Mom’s version of the tomato kusondi has found it’s way to the UK, Spain and Canada so far. It might make it’s way to a lot more countries in the future. Nope, she doesn’t take orders. It’s just for the cousins.
But if you want to try making it yourself, here’s how to make our traditional East Indian version of the tomato kusondi.
Tomato Kusondi Recipe
Chop 2 kgs of tomatoes into 1 cm or 1.5 cm cubes.
Also chop or grate about 50 grams of ginger, 50 grams of garlic and 15 gms of green chillies coarsely and set aside. In a deep pan, add 500 ml of peanut, mustard or sunflower oil, 25 grams of jeera or cumin, 25 gms of dried kashmiri chillies, and fry well.
Then add in the chopped tomatoes and another 50 grams of garlic, but this bit has to be ground fine. Also add in 25 grams turmeric powder, 150 gms of salt, 1 kg of sugar and 750 ml of vinegar and let the mix simmer for some time. (If you’re not on a gluten free diet, use malt vinegar. If you are living gluten free, use apple cider vinegar. Also, you can swap out equal quantity of sugar for equal quantity of jaggery.)
The recipe doesn’t call for it, but my mom also adds in a few sticks of cinnamon, 3 black cardamom, 8 cloves, 100 grams raisins, 200 grams halved mustard (yellow) and 100 grams cashews. The spices and nuts enrich the kusondi quite a ways.
And that’s it, cook for a bit more, leave to cool, bottle and share with friends and family. While bottling for a long time, remember to add a little extra oil to cover the top of the pickle.
Depending on how much you made, the pickle lasts for a year of so. But given how we eat, nope, not possible. So bring on next year, and another chance to make more tomato kusondi.
East Indian Tomato Kusondi Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Kgs Tomatoes Chopped into 1 or 1.5 cm cubes
- 50 Grams Ginger Grated
- 50 Grams Garlic Grated
- 50 Grams Garlic Ground Fine
- 25 Grams Kashmiri Chillies Pieces
- 25 Grams Cumin Jeera Powdered
- 15 Grams Green Chillies Cut into halves
- 25 Grams Turmeric Powder
- 150 Grams Salt
- 500 Ml Oil Mustard or Peanut or Sunflower
- 1 Kg Sugar Or jaggery
- 675 Ml Vinegar Malt if regular, Apple Cider if gluten free
- 100 Grams Yellow Half Mustard
- 100 Grams Cashewnuts Cut in halves
- 100 Grams Raisins
- 2 Sticks Cinnamon
- 3 Black Cardamom
- 8 Cloves
Instructions
- Chop 2 kgs of tomatoes into 1 cm or 1.5 cm cubes.
- Also chop or grate about 50 grams of ginger, 50 grams of garlic and 15 gms of green chillies coarsely and set aside.
- In a deep pan, add 500 ml of peanut, mustard or sunflower oil, 25 grams of jeera or cumin, 25 gms of dried kashmiri chillies, and fry well.
- Then add in the chopped tomatoes and another 50 grams of garlic (that has been ground fine).
- Also add in 25 grams turmeric powder, 150 gms of salt, 1 kg of sugar and 750 ml of vinegar and let the mix simmer for some time. (If you’re not on a gluten free diet, use malt vinegar. If you are living gluten free, use apple cider vinegar. Also, you can swap out equal quantity of sugar for equal quantity of jaggery.)
- Optionally, add in a few sticks of cinnamon, 3 black cardamom, 8 cloves, 100 grams raisins, 200 grams halved mustard (yellow) and 100 grams cashews.
- Cook for a bit more, leave to cool, bottle and share with friends and family.
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