Quick Tomato Rasam

Ingredients:
Ripe tomatoes large : 3 numbers
Fresh coconut scrapings : 1 Heaped Tbsps
Green chillies : 3
For seasoning:
Jeera /Cumin : 1 tsp
Oil for seasoning : 2 tsp
Curry leaves/Karbev : a few
Asafoetida : a pinch
Coriander leaves chopped : 1 tsp

Method:
Microwave tomatoes for three minutes and when cooled remove the skin. Put this in a blender with green chillies and coconut scrapings and run the mixie till the mixture is smooth. Remove and put in a vessel, add 1/2 water to the mixie jar and run the mixie for a second and add this water to the vessel. Keep on stove and bring to boil for 5 minutes. Season with the items under seasoning above and garnish with coriander leaves.Goes well with hot rice or had as soup

Tomato Pickle

This is a recipe I found on Indianfood About.com.(http://indianfood.about.com/od/picklesandpreserves/r/andhratomato.htm)It comes out well, I have made slight variation while making it as follows. It is supposed to be made hot as it is mixed with hot rice and ghee and consumed.

Ingredients:

* 1 kg firm red tomatoes washed and cubed
* 6 tbsps sesame oil (you can substitute this with vegetable refined oil)
* 2 lime sized lumps of tamarind
(remove seeds and soak in a little hot water to soften)
* 8-10 green chillies (adjust these to your taste if this amount
is too/less hot for you)and 2 tsp redchilli powder
* 2 tsps fenugreek seeds
* 2 tsps cumin seeds
* 2 tsps mustard seeds
* 1/2 tsp asafoetida
* Salt to taste

Preparation:

In a deep pan, heat 3 tbsps of sesame oil and add tomatoes. Fry until they
are soft and then mash roughly.Grind the tamarind,red chilli powder and green chillies into a paste and add to the mashed tomato paste.
In another pan heat 3 tbsps of sesame oil and add the mustard seeds.
When they splutter add the fenugreek seeds and fry. Now add the asafoetida and remove from the fire.Pour this hot mix onto the tomato-tamarind-green chilli paste and mix well.
Allow to cool and store in a glass bottle in the refrigerator.Use only dry spoon.Eat with plain hot rice with fresh hot ghee or chapati/dosas or as an accompaniment with other dishes.