The best thing you can do with a cherry tomato is not just pop it in your mouth—but is nearly as fast. You’ll find it in the cookbook Indian-ish by Priya Krishna and her mom Ritu: a five-minute, spicy-bright pickle that will electrify everything from dal to quesadillas.
As Priya writes in Indian-ish , “Making achar, or pickle, is a long-standing Indian tradition. At the start of summer, my great-aunt will combine oil, vegetables, and a bunch of spices in a few jars, then set them out to marinate into a bright, spicy concoction during the warm months. This is my mom’s shortcut pickle, which can function either as a condiment for rice and dal, or on its own as a tomato salad with a very big personality. It is the sweeter, cherry tomato version of an achar that’s normally made with a sour tropical berry called karonda. Also, the specific combo of spices in here is called panch phoran, which literally translates to 'five spices' and can be used in so many ways, from fish stew to dal. Other reasons to make this dish: (1) It comes together in less than five minutes, (2) it highlights the delightful flavor of good cherry tomatoes, and (3) it has the absolute BEST texture with all those crunchy seeds. Unlike most achars, this one will not last in your fridge forever. Best to finish it off while it’s fresh. And don’t be afraid to eat the whole chiles—they get milder when they’re cooked down.”
A few tips: If you’re missing any of the spices, you can order them individually or in a panch phoran blend (just be sure to get whole seeds, not ground, for the best flavor and crunch) at places like Kalustyan’s and Spicewalla. In Indian-ish , Priya suggests using panch phoran in all sorts of other dishes, like fish stew and dal, or you can try searching Food52 for “panch phoran” to get more recipes from the community. Seek out the asafetida, too, if you don't have it—there’s nothing else like it.
Recipe adapted very slightly from Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2019).
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