I think you’re going to like this very traditional tomato, chilli and yogurt salad!

The cooling yogurt and spicy chillies go so well together

So a few weeks ago I was working away on Twitter when a local tweep, Mark introduced himself. He suggested I try the best Indian restaurant in the North East – Table Talk. With three kids and a business, I don’t get out much but I wrote down the restaurant’s name and moved quickly on.

Last Saturday evening I got my chance. It just happened that all three kids were out for the evening and my wife, Caroline and I decided to get in the car and make the short journey up to Middleton St George. I am so glad we made a reservation. The place was packed at 8.00!

This is not a restaurant review. That will come later but we absolutely loved our meals that night.

Hearing that we were going, Mark made a point of letting the owners Mo and Jay know that we would be visiting. This leads me to the good news!

You can roast the tomatoes under the grill or over a gas flame

Mo offered to share many of the family recipes with me so that we all could make and try them at home.

Table Talk is a family business. They cook for you just like they cook for themselves at home.

Following is the first of what I hope will be many fantastic recipes I will be sharing with you. As you can see from the picture, I used this tomato, chilli and yogurt salad as a side dish but it could so easily be served on its own. It makes a very nice and refreshing salad and if I’m honest, I ate all the leftovers.

Roasting the garlic cloves in their skins

The soft garlic cloves and blackened skins taste fantastic

Yield: 4

Tomato, Chilli And Yogurt Salad

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Ingredients

• 3 fresh tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 green chilli - finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon mustard oil (You could also use a tablespoon vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon English mustard)
• A pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• A pinch of chaat masala (Available from Asian food stores)

Instructions

1. Under the grill, roast the tomatoes whole until the skins are almost black.
2. Do the same with the garlic cloves. If you have a gas stove, you might like to hold the cloves over an open flame on a fork or toothpick and roast until the skins are blackened and the cloves are soft.
3. Set the tomatoes and the garlic aside to cool.
4. Cut the onion, green chilli and coriander as finely as possible and mix together with the mustard oil, a pinch of salt and chaat masala.
5. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
6. Now mix in the garlic and tomatoes by hand ensuring the garlic cloves are crushed and the tomatoes are slushy.
7. You can either remove the tomato skin at this stage or leave it in. I left it on.
8. Add the yogurt and stir well.
9. Serving ideas: You could add additional chillies to taste. I did.
10. The salad should be served chilled with a little chaat masala sprinkled over the top.

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If you find yourself near Middleton St George, be sure to book a table at Table Talk and please let them know that Dan sent you!