Tomato Pickle with Radish Seeds and Spices

Tomato Pickle with Radish Seeds and Spices

Friday, October 15, 2021

 This pickle made from uncooked tomato, radish seeds and spices is simply delicious. The hint of nutty flavor comes from roasted radish seeds, and uncooked tomatoes give fresh and crunchy texture to the pickle. Newari community is the only ethnic group I have found to use radish seeds in making pickle. My college friend introduced me to this pickle and provided the recipe. It’s very simple and easy to make.

Tomato-pickle-with-radish-seeds-and-spices-under-sunlight-for-fermentation

Key ingredients required for making this pickle

Making of Tomato pickle

Ingredients:

½ kg Tomatoes
3 tbs Radish seeds
1 tbs Mustard seeds (optional)
4-5 Garlic cloves
½ thumb size Ginger
6-8 Green Chilies (or according to your preference)
1 tsp Fenugreek Seed
1 tbs Cumin and Coriander powder
½ tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbs Red Chili powder
4-5 tbs Vegetable Oil (preferably mustard oil)
Salt

Method

1. Cut tomatoes, chilies, ginger and garlic cloves in small pieces, and transfer into a bowl.
2. Roast radish seeds and mustard seed (optional) lightly in a pan with continuous stirring. As soon as they start to blister, transfer into mortar and pestle. Allow it cool and grind them coarsely. Mustard seed to gives mustardy pungent kick or flavor to the pickle.
3. Heat 2-3 tbs of mustard oil and add fenugreek seeds. Turn off the heat when fenugreek seeds start to blister and add turmeric powder, red chili powder and cumin-coriander powder mix. Pour it over the diced tomatoes.
4. Add around one tbs salt and mix them all together properly.
5. Pour the mixture into clean jar. Tap or lightly shake the jar few times during the filling process. This will help in compacting the moisture and release air pockets in the jar. Do not fill the jar up to the neck. Leave some space as it boils and expands during the fermentation process.
6. Pour about 2 tbs of mustard oil over the mixture and close the lid tightly.
7. Leave it for around 5-6 days under the sunlight. Direct sunlight helps in fermentation and also prevents from getting mold. In 5-6 days, the pickle develops flavors and turns sour. It is usually eaten with daal-bhaat-tarkari and roti. It can last few weeks outside refrigerator and months inside the refrigerator.

Note: Use hot water to clean and sterile utensils and jars.

Lao Dips - Pepper Dip | Tomato | Mushroom

Lao Dips - Pepper Dip | Tomato | Mushroom

Monday, August 30, 2021

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 oz Thai chili peppers (~12)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce (3 crab brand)
• Chop cilantro and green onion

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Place the chili peppers, garlic clove, salt, and sugar in a mortar and pestle. Pound until the pepper become a nice paste. 

2) Scrap the pepper into a small bowl and add in lime juice, fish sauce, chopped cilantro and green onion. Mix well and serve with you favorite meat! 

 

NOTES

You can add more lime juice for more sourness. Freezing the chili pepper ahead of time will make it easier to pound into a finer paste. You can add as much cilantro and green onion as you want.

Pepper Dip #2: Nam Jim Jaew (แจ่ว)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
• 1/2 Tbsp palm sugar chopped finely*
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce (3 crab brand)
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp (or more) Thai chili flakes
• 1 small shallot sliced
• 1 Tbsp toasted rice powder
• 1 Tbsp green onion chopped
• 4 cilantro sprigs chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Mix everything in a small bowl and taste to adjust. Serve with your favorite grilled meat. 

*finely chop the palm sugar so it's easier to dissolve. 

Add more chili flakes to make it spicier! 

NOTES

This dip is good the day of. If you make it a day ahead, the toasted rice powder will absorb most of the liquid and make the dip thick. It won't taste as good as the day of.

Tomato Pepper (Txiv lwg suav hov txob)

Hello tomato season!

Seasonal tomatoes have arrived and they are growing beautifully this year. I LOVE LOVE LOVE fresh seasonal tomatoes since they are so sweet and full of great flavor. Here are two simple tomato pepper we love to eat in my family. One roasted and one fresh. Super quick and tasty. These tomato pepper goes great with any kind of grilled meat. I love them with fried chicken, grill pork belly, fried fish, and steak. So give it a try and let me know what you like to put in your tomato pepper. Happy cooking!

INGREDIENTS

• ---ROASTED TOMATO PEPPER---
• 10 oz cherry tomatoes (roughly 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 Thai chili pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 shallots (chopped)
• 2-3 green onions (chopped)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce (3 crabs brand if you have it)
• ---FRESH TOMATO PEPPER---
• 10 oz cherry tomato (roughly 1 1/2 cups) sliced in half
• 2 Thai chili pepper minced
• 2 green onion (chopped)
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (add more if you like)
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce (3 crabs brand if you have it)
• Pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

ROASTED TOMATO PEPPER

1)  In a foil lined pan, place the cherry tomatoes, peeled and cut shallots, the smashed garlic, and 2 chili pepper on. Cook in the oven under broiled @ 500' F for about 12-15 minutes or until it is nicely roasted. Take out and let it slightly cool.

2) In a mortar and pestle, add in the roasted shallots, garlic, pepper, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Pound until the peppers are completely smashed up. Then add in the roasted tomatoes and pound away. Once it is nicely pounded, add in the chopped cilantro, green onions, and fish sauce. Mix well, taste and serve!

FRESH TOMATO PEPPER

1) In a bowl add in the sliced tomato, minced pepper, cilantro, green onions, fish sauce, and pinch of salt. Mix well, taste, and serve!

Mushroom Pepper: Hov Txob Nceb

Another pepper dip is here! We are going to be making mushroom pepper dip. One of my mom’s favorite pepper dip and one I grew up loving as a kid. Full of umami, spice, herbs, and simplicity. Great over rice and or alongside any grilled meat. Very simple to make and also very delicious. In Hmong Leeg, we call this Hov Txob Nceb: Hov Txob means pepper and Nceb means mushroom. I hope you all can give this pepper dip a try and let me know if you like it. Do let me know what you like to put in your mushroom pepper dip if you’ve made it before! Yeah yeah! Happy Cooking!

Main Ingredients

Mushroom: The classic white button mushroom. You can use other mushroom you desire. I suggest using ones that cooks well and release moisture.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 lb chopped white button mushrooms
• 2 shallot rough chopped (½-1 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 green onion (white and green part separated)
• 6 Thai chili pepper (more or less depends on you)
• 1/2 cups chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cups chopped green part of the green onion (from above)
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp fish sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse and cut the mushroom. For a finer dip, cut the shrooms smaller. For a chunkier dip, leave them a little bit bigger.
   
   
2. Prep/cut the herbs.
   
   
3. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and place the cut up shrooms on one and the shallots, pepper, garlic, and white part of the green onions in one. Bake under broil @ 450 for 8 minutes, stir and for another 8 minutes. After 16 minutes total, take out the tray that has the shallots. They should be nice and charred/cook. If you want it more charred, cook it longer. Continue cooking the shrooms for an additional 8 more minutes or so (total time of about 25-30 minutes). Cooking time may vary on your oven. Make sure to stir the shrooms every 8-12 minutes for even cooking. Once cooked, take it out of the oven & cool for 2-3 minutes.
   
   
4. In a mortar n pestle, add in the roasted chili, shallots, garlic, and white parts of the green onion along with 1/2 tsp of salt. Pound until the peppers are smashed up. Then add in the mushrooms liquid and all. Pound. Then add in the chopped cilantro and green part of the green onion. Pound and then add in the fish sauce. Mix well. Taste to adjust and serve! Eat it white rice or as a side dish with meat etc.

Credit:  https://chawjcreations.com/

Jeow Marg Len: Roasted Tomato Dipping Sauce

Jeow Marg Len: Roasted Tomato Dipping Sauce

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

We Laotians LOVE dipping sauces, a meal wouldn’t complete without a dipping sauce. We usually serve a dipping sauce with either steamed or fresh vegetables, along with steamed, grilled or fried fish and/or meats. Every region of Laos has it’s own special dipping sauce, example, the Luang Prabang region is known for Jeow Bong. We usually dip sticky rice or vegetables into the sauce. Most Laotian households have one or more type of fish sauce in their pantry or fridge, (city folks).

Ingredients
15 cherry tomatoes
12 garlic cloves
1/2 red onion or two shallots
8 Thai chilies
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp fish sauce or thin soy sauce
1 tbsp unfiltered fish sauce or anchovy sauce or fermented bean paste
a handful of cilantro

Directions

1.  Soak skewers in water at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.
2. Cut onions into 2-inch pieces, push skewers through all the vegetables.
3. Grill for about 15 minutes. Until nicely charred, not burnt.
4. Using mortar and pestle, pound chilies, garlic, and onions until all are well mixed and mashed.
5. Add tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients, pound until all ingredients are well mixed. Stir in cilantro and serve it with grilled fish, meats, and/or steamed mixed vegetables and sticky rice.

This entry was posted in Lao Dishes, Recipes and tagged dipping sauce, spicy, tomatoes by admin. Bookmark the permalink.

TIPS:

•  If using a grill  – Soak skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.
• Cut onions and chillies into 2-inch pieces (leave cherry tomatoes whole if using) push skewers through all the vegetables.
• 
  
• Grill for about 15 minutes, until nicely charred but not burnt.
• 
  
• If using a pan – Heat a small frypan pan on medium-high heat, when hot add  the oil and fry the vegetables till softened and charred. about 5-10 minutes.
• 
  
• If using a mortar and pestle – Using mortar and pestle, pound charred chilies, garlic and onions until all are well mixed and mashed. Add cooked tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients, lightly mix.  Stir in coriander.