Crushed Tomato/Thakkali Njeradiyath

This is a very easy recipe prepared by my mom. My husband also loves it very much when I made and served it to him. This can be served as a side dish like chutney, a little tangy,hot and an extra kick of asafetida. The procedure does not include any cooking on the stove top, Just a crush is required with all the ingredients.This goes well with kanji or rice.

Know what you eat before you eat:
Do you know that Tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable; but mostly considered as a vegetable for most culinary purposes.

photo from google

Their consumption is believed to benefit the heart among other organs.
They contain lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants. In some studies lycopene, especially in cooked tomatoes, has been found to help prevent prostate cancer,improves the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays. Most Tomato varieties have double the normal vitamin C (Doublerich), 40 times normal vitamin A (97L97), high levels of anthocyanin (resulting in blue tomatoes), and two to four times the normal amount of lycopene.
Tomato consumption has been associated with decreased risk of breast cancer, head and neck cancers and might be strongly protective against neurodegenerative diseases.


Ingredients:
1. Tomato- 1/4 cup, finely chopped
2. Green chillies- 1, finely chopped
3. Asafetida/Heeng- 1/4 tsp
4. Salt, to taste.

Preparation Method:
1. In a bowl add all the ingredients together.
2. Press and crush well with your hands,all the tomato pieces together and ooze out the juice in them as well as infuse the flavors into the tomato chops.

Variations can be done adding a drop of coconut oil and 1/2 tsp shredded coconut. Without this also the mix will taste good. Seve like chutney as a side dish with rice or kanji.