Name: Turmeric Tomatoes with Saffron
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 400g fresh cherry tomatoes; 5 Spring onions - finely chopped; 1/2 inch ginger finely chopped; 5 Tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil or sesame oil (see notes); 4 cloves garlic - smashed and roughly chopped; 4 cloves; 4 green cardamons; A pinch of sugar; A pinch of salt; A pinch of saffron; 5 tbsp white wine vinegar or lime juice (see notes); 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon garam masala

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Turmeric tomatoes is a delicious side salad or light snack.

I really don’t know how long I have been making turmeric tomatoes but it’s going back a few decades. My recipe has changed some over the years and I’m quite sure it was originally from a Chinese restaurant I used to frequent but I gave it an Indian touch. I liked it so much, I featured this exact turmeric tomatoes recipe in my book ‘The Curry Guy Easy’.

This is a delicious way to serve tomatoes. The flavours all go together incredibly well and I hope you love it as much as I obviously do. It’s simple recipes like this that started me on my way to food blogging. It’s great that something as simple as turmeric tomatoes can taste so amazing.

About this recipe.

Like most salads, turmeric tomatoes are best served chilled. So you will need to think ahead before preparing the salad.

The spices and saffron are first infused over a medium heat into the oil. Then the whole spices are removed and the remaining dressing ingredients are added. This is then chilled in the fridge for an hour or so before mixing with the tomatoes and aromatic ingredients to serve.

Can long can you keep turmeric tomatoes in the fridge?

If you would like to work ahead, go ahead and do so. Turmeric tomatoes will keep in the fridge for at least three days. Just wrap them tightly in a small serving bowl. Be sure to toss the salad before serving so that the tomatoes are nicely coated with the dressing.

Why is there so much dressing?

The special dressing for this salad takes some time and effort to prepare. So I always make more than necessary as it can be repurposed for another salad or more turmeric tomatoes.

Are there other ways to serve turmeric tomatoes?

If you have any turmeric tomatoes left over, they taste great on toasted French bread and can also be thrown tossed into a pasta with outstanding results. I like to add a spoonful or so to kebabs wrapped in hot homemade naans.

Do you fancy eating this hot? Try stirring your tumeric tomatoes into pasta for a bit of Indian/Italian fusion.

Step by step photographs

To make it easy on yourself, be sure to prep all the ingredients before starting.

The tomatoes, spring onions (scallions) and chopped ginger in a serving bowl ready for chilling.

Place the quartered tomatoes, chopped spring onions (scallions) and ginger in a serving bowl and place in the fridge to chill.

The oil heating in the pan with the garlic, cardamom, cloves, salt, sugar and ground turmeric.

Heat your oil of choice in a large pan and stir in the garlic, chillies, cardamom pods, cloves, salt, sugar and ground turmeric.

Stirring the garlic, cardamom, cloves, salt, sugar and ground turmeric into the oil.

Fry over a medium heat for about 2 minutes to soften the garlic. Then turn off the heat.

Add a pinch of saffron to the hot pan and then add the vinegar or lime juice. The oil will take on a yellow tone from the turmeric and saffron.

Stir in the garam masala. Be sure to stir it right in so that it becomes part of the dressing.

Removing the cardamom pods and cloves from the pan.

Take the cardamom pods and cloves out of the dressing and then place it in the fridge to cool.

The tomato salad ingredients in a bowl next to the prepared dressing.

Once chillied, take the dressing and tomato salad mixture out of the fridge.

The finished turmeric tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper.

Toss it all together and serve chilled. You can also add more salt and ground pepper to serve.

Have you tried this recipe for turmeric tomatoes?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the comments below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

Yield: 4

Turmeric Tomatoes with Saffron

This is a delicious salad that can be prepared in minutes. It's best served chilled as a salad but can also be served at room temperature of French bread or hot, stirred into paste. Enjoy!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

400g fresh cherry tomatoes
5 Spring onions - finely chopped
1/2 inch ginger finely chopped
5 Tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil or sesame oil (see notes)
4 cloves garlic - smashed and roughly chopped
4 cloves
4 green cardamons
A pinch of sugar
A pinch of salt
A pinch of saffron
5 tbsp white wine vinegar or lime juice (see notes)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala

Instructions

Quarter the cherry tomatoes and place in a salad bowl.
Add the chopped spring onion and finely chopped ginger and place in the fridge to chill.
In a small pan, heat the rapeseed (canola) oil or sesame oil over a medium-high heat and then add the garlic, cloves, cardamon, sugar, salt, and turmeric. If you don't like biting into whole spices, be sure to count the cloves and cardamom pods in and then count them out again to remove.
Stir in the pan for about a minute and then turn off the heat. Stir in the garam masala, saffron and vinegar.
Allow to cool slightly and then pour this mixture over the tomatoes and stir it all up nicely.
You can serve immediately but it will be better if you allow the salad to sit untouched for about two hours. Stir and serve.

Notes

Rapeseed (canola) oil or sesame oil: I prefer the strong flavour of sesame oil for this salad. You might prefer olive oil. Both work well in the dressing. A light olive oil is also good.
Vinegar or lime juice: I always used vinegar for this recipe until recently. Lately I have been adding lime juice instead and prefer the flavour. This, however is a personal preference and you might prefer vinegar.