Bengali Tomato Salsa (aka Tomato Bortha)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my modern take on a gutsy Bengali tomato salad. There are lots of big flavours so use the ripest tomatoes you can find. Traditionally this would be served as a side dish to rice, dahl and perhaps some curried fish or chicken, but I also like it with a hunk of bread to soak up the salty sweet juices.

ingredients

8 ripe tomatoes, quartered
2-3 tsp mustard oil (available from all good Indian grocers)
2 tbsp walnut/avocado oil
1 tbsp rice/cider/passion fruit vinegar
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
Salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp lightly toasted ground cumin seeds
2 finely chopped spring onions/ 1 red onion
Half a clove of raw garlic, crushed
Finely chopped green chilli (optional)
Or even better, 2 of the tiniest drops of chilli oil from a jar of Mr Naga
Available from all good Bengali food stores.

method

Crush the tomatoes to a pulp using clean hands.
Add all the other ingredients and mash between your fingers.
Cover and chill in the fridge for as long as possible to allow the flavours to mingle.
Check and adjust seasoning if necessary.

(You are looking for an intermingling of salty, sharp, sweet and deeply savoury).

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