Tomato Ooragaya - Sun Dried Tomato Pickle

Normally we make sun dried products in summer like sun dried pickles, and pappads and some powders like red chilli powder, coriander powder. We store them for coming one year means till next summer. But  this sun dried tomato pickle we make little before summer. Because in the end of January to February full month we get beautiful red colored and juicy tomatoes. This is the perfect time to make tomato pickle. But in this season we do not get  a sharp sunshine so that sun drying the tomato pieces will take 4 to 5 days. There are many ways to make tomato pickle but this sun dried tomato pickle will give a wonderful flavor and taste. Making of this pickle is a long process but that will worth it.
Some main points that you should remember while making pickle:
 Make sure that you don't touch water while making the pickle and clean each and every thing like mixing bowl ladle and Tomatoes with a dry cloth and dry them properly.

Use a clean and dry spoon every time to take out the pickle from jar.

INGREDIENTS:---

Tomato  --- 1 kgRed chilli powder  --- 200gmsMustard seeds  -- 1 tab sp
Fenugreek seeds  -- 1 tea sp
Tamarind --- 50gms
Turmeric powder  --- 1 tea sp
Salt   --- 3tab sp
Oil   ---- 250ml
For talimpu (tadka, seasoning)
Channa dal  --- 1 tab sp
Curry leaves  --- 2 springs
Mustard seeds   --- 1 tea sp
Asafoetida  --- 1/2 tea sp or 8 garlic cloves pealed.
METHOD:---
1. Wash and wipe tomatoes with a dry cloth.
2. Cut tomatoes in to eight pieces, add salt and turmeric to tomato pieces mix well with a dry laddle, close with a lid and set it in a dry place for over night.
3. Next day morning squeeze the juice from tomato pieces and spread tomato pieces on a clean dry cloth.
4. Dry this tomato pieces in a very hot sun till they become totally dry, means there should be no moisture in the tomato pieces. This process will take 4 days in hot summer, every evening remove tomato pieces from out side and again keep them in the sun every morning do like this for 4 days.
5. In the same  time pour juice what we collect from tomato pieces in a wide bowl add tamarind to this juice and leave this also in the sun along with tomato pieces for 4 days.
If you have a good sunshine after 4 days this liquid become thick every evening keep this juice also in side and keep it back in the sun every morning.
6. after 4 days mix tomato pieces and juice in a big bowl close with a lid and leave it for over night.
7. Next morning take out some tomato pieces from juice and set a side and grind the remaining tomato and juice mixture in to a coarse paste.
8. Dry roast fenugreek seeds, grind in to a fine powder and set a side.
9.  Dry roast mustard seeds, grind in to a fine powder and set a side.
10. Mix red chilli powder, fenugreek powder, mustard powder mix well to combine every thing.
11. Add red chilli powder mixture to tomato paste, and tomato pieces mix well, adjust salt.
12. Now heat oil in a deep frying pan add channadal, mustard seeds, asafoetida or garlic cloves, curry leaves let the mustard seeds popup, switch off the heat and let the tadka cool completely.
13. Now add the tadka to tomato pickle mix well to combine every thing set a side for 1 hour do not close with lid now.
Store it in a clean, dry airtight bottle or in a ceramic jar.
This pickle will stay for one year no need to keep this in the fridge.
This is my first recipe with the theme of Sun dried products for blogging marathon 17 th edition At Vallis spice your life lets check blogging marathon page .