
Flavors: Spicy Mashed Tomatoes (Tomato Bhorta)
- Food
- Recipe
Reading time:1min
Recipe by Asma Khan
Photograph by Laura Edwards
Bhorta or bharta is a generic term used in Bengal to describe anything that has been ground, pounded or chopped into very small pieces. It is a side dish almost like a relish, which is commonly eaten with rice and lentils.
No Bengali New Year celebration in Bangladesh is complete without various kinds of bhorta. If tomatoes are available, this bhorta will definitely be on the table.
Since it has a salsa-like texture, it can be used as a relish for burgers or even grilled halloumi. It’s a great accompaniment to barbecued meats too. It can be made in advance and kept covered in the fridge for 24 hours until you are ready to eat.
There is a messy way to roast the tomatoes, using direct heat—either by cooking them on the embers of a barbecue or by holding them in tongs directly in a flame, turning them so they roast evenly. These methods give an added smokiness, but they are not always practical. The easiest way is to heat up a tawa or a griddle over high heat and roast the tomatoes on it until the skins blacken.
Once they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and chop the tomatoes into small pieces.
Mix the tomatoes with the chiles, onions, oil and salt and serve chilled or at room temperature, garnished with cilantro.
Reprinted with permission from
Ammu: Indian Home-Cooking to Nourish Your Soul
Asma Khan.
Interlink Books, 2022.
interlinkbooks.com.

You may also be interested in...
Flavors: Shir Yakheh Gulab (Rose and Pistachio Ice Cream)
Food
During the hot summer months, ice-cream shops, called shir yakh feroshees, would sell an assortment of ice creams and other cold desserts. My sister Fatema remembers going into beautiful little shops after school to buy shir yakh. They were colorful and decoratively tiled and had Bollywood music playing in the background. The shir yakh, with rose and pistachios, is a favorite at Parwana, one of her restaurants.Flavors: Hais (Desert Energy Balls)
Food
Al-Baghdadi wrote his hit medieval cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh (Book of Dishes) in 1226 CE at the height of Abbasid sophistication and power. It included this recipe for hais or date sweetmeats.Cracked Wheat and Tomato Kibbeh Recipe
Food
Simply cooked line-caught fish with this beautiful tomato kibbeh. I don't know how you could top it.