Tomato Khatta (with Khajur)

Tomato Khatta is a favorite temple side dish from Orissa. On festival days and in temple prasads, it is a consistent side dish. It has a nice balance of sweetness and sourness to it. Its a quick and easy dish and goes very well with Dalma - another staple of Oriya cooking.

The 1st time I made Tomato Khatta for my Oriya potluck party, it was big disaster. But one of the experts in our group (S bhauja), gave me some tips and since then it turns out really good. I follow her steps to the T (ok - not exactly since I don't add the coconut). Once you add coconut, the dish looks very colorful too....


Ingredients

4 large tomato cut into small pieces
10 -12 seedless dates
handful of raisins (optional)
1/2 cup sugar
handful of curry leaves
1/2 inch ginger thinly sliced
2 green chilies
1 tablespoon of panch phutana
1 table spoon Jeera and fried Methi powder
handful of Fresh coconut (optional)
1 table spoon of oil
salt to taste

How to

Heat oil in a pan. Add panch phutana.
When they start to crack add ginger, curry leaves and green chilies.
Add chopped tomatoes, dates and salt. Saute for few minutes until water from the tomatoes dries up.
Add sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickens in consistency. Finally add raisins and jeera and methi powder.
Add fresh coconut and remove from fire. (I didn't add it)

This tastes better the next day.