Green Tomato Choka

Tomato Choka is usually made with ripe, red, firm, juicy tomatoes, however, green tomatoes make excellent choka too. Apart from the obvious difference in colour, the flavour profile is different too.

The tartness of the green tomatoes are mellowed from roasting and tempered with the addition of sugar. A light sprinkling of ground jeera (cumin) rounds out the flavour profile of this choka. Eat the choka with bread, roti, or dhal and rice. Bread works too. Eating the choka with tortilla chips makes for unstoppable snacking. This choka can also work as a relish, and be topped over seafood or grilled vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds green tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons oil, divided (2 Tbsp. and 1 Tbsp.)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt plus extra
• ½ cup chopped onions
• Hot pepper minced, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1/3 cup water
• ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar (substitute

with brown sugar)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. 

   Add tomatoes to a roasting pan, drizzle with 1-tablespoon oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserts easily into tomatoes. The skins would be brown in some parts and completely wrinkled.

3. Let tomatoes cool until you can handle them and remove skin.
4. Add onions and hot pepper to food processor or mortar with pestle and pulse until fine but not smooth. Add tomatoes and drippings from the pan and pulse until chucky or smooth depending on your preference of texture.
5. Add garlic and 2 tablespoons oil in pan and place over medium heat. Fry until garlic is golden (do not let brown, reduce the heat if necessary).
6. Add tomato-onion-pepper mixture along with water, stir and cook over medium heat for 3 – 4 minutes. Season with salt and sugar to taste then cook for another minute.
7. Stir in remaining cilantro. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

To maintain the green colour of the choka, I used green hot peppers instead of the red.