Tomato Healthy Recipes: Not just vegetable gravy, make these 4 wonderful and nutritious dishes from tomatoes; Learn the correct storage technique

Tomato is such an essential part of Indian kitchen, without which our everyday cooking is considered incomplete. In most of the houses, it is used to make the base of vegetable gravy, add tempering to pulses, prepare hot soup or decorate salad plates. The mild sour-sweet taste of tomato not only enhances the taste of food manifold, but it also provides many essential nutrients to our body. From a scientific point of view, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, potassium, abundant fiber and a very powerful antioxidant called ‘Lycopene’ are found in tomatoes. All these elements together strengthen the body’s immunity, maintain the glow and health of the skin and protect the body cells from damage. This is why it is considered a very important part of a balanced and nutritious diet. However, many people limit the use of tomatoes to traditional gravies or salads only. Whereas the reality is that by making tomato the main ingredient, you can prepare many delicious, quick and healthy recipes, which can be easily included in morning breakfast, evening snacks or in the main meal of lunch and dinner. Using tomatoes through proper cooking methods does not destroy its nutrients. Let us know which 4 wonderful recipes can be made from tomato and what important things should be kept in mind while buying it and storing it at home. Make these 4 delicious and nutritious recipes with tomatoes: If you are bored of eating the same old food, then definitely include this unique and healthy makeover of tomatoes in your menu: Delicious Stuffed Tomato: As attractive as it looks, it is equally nutritious to eat. To make this, cut the top part of slightly larger and harder tomatoes and take out all the pulp inside. Now prepare a stuffing by mixing grated cheese, boiled corn, finely chopped capsicum and mild Indian spices in a mixing bowl. Fill this mixture well inside the evacuated tomatoes. After this, bake it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or cook it in a pan by covering it lightly. This dish is rich in protein, vitamin C and fiber, which you can serve as a great evening snack. Spicy Tomato Pulao: This is a perfect and quick one-pot meal for lunch box or dinner. To make this, heat some oil or ghee in a pan and fry cumin, finely chopped onion and hot spices. After this, add lots of chopped ripe tomatoes in it and cook until they melt completely. Now add pre-soaked Basmati rice and water as required and cook on low flame. Once the rice is cooked, sprinkle fresh coriander on top and serve it with hot raita. The natural sourness of tomatoes gives this pulao a unique taste and the body gets a rich dose of lycopene. South Indian Style Tomato Chutney: This chutney is great for doubling the taste of idli, dosa, uttapam or plain paratha. To make this, cook chopped tomatoes, garlic cloves, green chillies or dried red chillies and salt as per taste in a pan so that their rawness goes away. After it cools down, grind it in a mixer. Finally, apply a spicy seasoning of mustard seeds, urad dal and fresh curry leaves on this chutney. Rich in antioxidants, this chutney is also considered very good for digestion. Protein Rich Tomato Cheela: This is a very quick and weight-loss friendly recipe for morning breakfast. To prepare it, prepare a medium thick batter by mixing finely grated tomatoes, onion, green chillies, green coriander, celery and salt in gram flour. Spread this batter on a non-stick pan, apply a little ghee or oil and cook it well until it becomes golden and crispy from both the sides. The body gets high-quality protein from gram flour and vitamin C from tomato, which makes the breakfast completely balanced. Do not make these mistakes while buying and storing tomatoes. You get the full benefit of freshness of tomatoes and the vitamins present in them only when you choose the right quality and keep them in the kitchen in the right way: Choose hard and blemish-free tomatoes: While buying tomatoes from the market, always keep in mind that the tomatoes should be fresh to touch, slightly firm and without any dark spots or holes. Completely avoid buying tomatoes that are too flabby, too soft or bruised, because bacteria grow very quickly in such tomatoes and they can rot and spoil other vegetables within a day. Room Temperature Rule: If you have brought some raw or green-red tomatoes from the market, do not make the mistake of putting them in the refrigerator immediately. Always store raw tomatoes in an open basket at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. When they become completely red and ripe naturally, shift them to the refrigerator. By keeping well-ripe tomatoes in the vegetable box of the refrigerator, they remain completely fresh for 5 to 7 days. Say no to plastic bags: Tomatoes should never be stored in tightly closed plastic bags or air-tight containers. Moisture accumulates inside the closed bag, due to which tomatoes start rotting very quickly. Instead, keep them in an open bamboo or steel mesh basket or use a paper bag (paper envelope) to maintain air ventilation. Wash just before use: Another common mistake that people often make is to wash the vegetables as soon as they get them from the market and store them directly. Never store tomatoes by washing or wetting them repeatedly. Due to moisture its upper skin starts deteriorating. Always wash tomatoes thoroughly with water only when you are going to use them for cooking or making salad. With this easy and practical habit, your tomatoes will remain juicy and fresh for a long time.