Tamatar Ka Salan - Andhra Special

April is here, and this month is going to be hectic for many of us coz of kid's exams else coz of their vacation. For me its going to be hectic coz of a month of long month marathon. Monthly we do three days of blogging marathon but April is everyday posting and for this month's theme, we chosed to cook from many Indian states. Being a South Indian, i always love to cook North Indian foods very much, seriously this month's blogging marathon pulled myself and my co marathoners to explore not only different Indian regional cuisines but their cultures and the way they cook their foods.Today, am taking you all to one of the famous South Indian flavourful Andhra Cuisine.

Andhra Pradesh is a state situated along the south-eastern coast of India. The charm of the Andhra Pradesh cuisine is the delightful blend of original Andhra, delicious Southern and brilliant Hyderabadi style of cooking. While the original Andhra food is hot and fiery in nature, Hyderabadi food brings the Mughal influence into the Andhra cuisine.The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is a foodie’s delight. The food of every Indian state has a certain kind of uniqueness to it and the same holds true for the cuisine of this state too.

Abundant use of spices and exotic seasonings mark the cooking style of Andhra Pradesh. This cuisine sees a healthy mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian items. A large chunk of the population is vegetarian and has devised brilliant vegetarian recipes. The people along the coastal areas have developed amazing seafood recipes. As Andhra Pradesh was under the rule of Mughal Emperors the cuisine of the land has been heavily influenced by the Mughals and this influence is reflected in the world-famous Hyderabadi cuisine.For the first day of this long marathon with Indian states as theme, i cooked this delightful Tamatar Ka salan from Hyderabadi Cuisine.

Recipes Source: Zaiqa
10nos Cherry tomatoes
2nos Onions (diced)
2tsp Ginger garlic paste
2tsp Red chilly powder
1/4tsp Turmeric powder
Chopped coriander leaves
2tbsp Tamarind pulp (thick)
1tsp Cumin seeds
2sprigs Curry leaves
1/2tsp Mustard seeds
1/3tsp Nigella seeds
1/8tsp Fenugreek seeds
Salt
Oil

To grind:
1tbsp White poppy seeds
1/4cup Sesame seeds
1/4cup Peanuts/Groundnuts
3/4cup Grated coconut
1tsp Coriander seeds

Make four incisions as perpendiculr cuts from the end of each cherry tomato, taking care to keep the other end intact,keep aside.

Meanwhile puree the onion as smooth paste, also grind the spices given under the list ' to grind' as smooth paste with enough water.

Heat enough oil in a pan, let crack the cumin seeds, curry leaves, mustard seeds, nigella seeds and fenugreek seeds.

Once they starts spluttering, add the pureed onion and cook in simmer until the raw smell of onions goes away.

Add now the ginger garlic paste, salt, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, chopped coriander and the grounded masala paste, mix well.

Cook in medium flame until the raw smell of the masala paste goes away  and oil starts leaving on the sides.

Add the tamarind pulp, mix well, add in 4cups of water,mix and let it boil.

While boiling, add the prepared tomatoes, cover it with a lid.

Let it cook for few minutes, once the tomato turns soft, remove from heat.

Serve with pulao, briyani or simply with rice..