- ‘Desi’ girls
What happened to those thin-skinned round and plump tomatoes of our childhood? One day the market was flooded with fleshy oblong-y tomatoes (known as ‘angrezi tamatar’ or ‘English tomatoes’, don’t know where that nomenclature comes from) and increasingly now, the round ones (known as ‘desi’ tomatoes) are becoming more and more scarce. They are now exotic and soon may be extinct. I go around the market looking for them and the vegetable sellers tell me nobody buys them anymore, because the ‘angrezi’ tomatoes last long and they look prettier. I miss them.
Aromatic and tangy, they are a bit like enlarged versions of cherry tomatoes. They go very well in salad with a drizzle of olive oil and rock salt. Let the salt, olive oil and tomato juice get to know each other a little bit in the fridge and it will be like a party in your mouth. You could also add some Feta or Bocconcini just before serving.
Tomatoes and rock salt
Inspired by ‘naantherapy‘ I’m trying to grow my own tomatoes. Actually, I wouldn’t have, if my wonderful neighbour hadn’t sent these seedlings across to my backyard.
One day tomatoes will grow in my backyard.
Now that I have these babies, I’m determined to see them through to the first crop.
I would have definitely grown my own desi tomatoes, except that I live in the middle of the desert, where I’ve only managed to grow aloe vera (and that too has turned yellow recently).
PS: Great pictures!
Thanks Nadia. I’m willing to share my first crop with you. Let me know where to send them
AJ you’re a lucky girl. Bring that sauce over. And the chutney. Let’s have a tomato party.
Look like Roma tomatoes, which are pretty much the lowest common denominator tomatoes. But even they can work in a tomato sauce if you add a tablespoon of vodka during cooking. It takes away the acidity, leaving them sweet and more tomato-ey.
Vodka is a very interesting idea.. must give more volume to the sauce too?
No!! You have to come to the periphery of the city to find the real desis. I got them by the kilos at the local budh bazar this season. There are “reddi-wallas” that sell only desi tomtoms for Rs 25/kilo. It makes sexacellent marinara sauce and also is great in cilantro-tomato chutney.
These look more like vine tomatoes here in the US. But you are so right nothing tastes better than desi tamatar!!! Here tomato is more a notion…looks red and like a tomato but no taste;-))
Oh I know what you’re saying. I bet you go to the nearest farmer’s market to buy your tamatars. Do they taste similar?