Stuffed Tomatoes cooked in almond-peanut gravy

I am a huge huge huge eater of tomatoes. I eat them in any form. It is my comfort food and I always have them ready in my pantry. I sometimes feel that I may be actually addicted to tomatoes. I especially love stuffed tomatoes because I feel that they are a best substitute for koftas. Koftas scare me for their calories and hence whenever I want to eat kofta I prepare stuffed tomatoes and satisfy my craving for them.

Ingredients:
For stuffing:
Tomatoes – 4
Paneer – ¼ cup (crumbled)
Green peas/mutter – ¼ cup
Corn kernels – ¼ cup
Green chilli – 2
Cumin seeds powder – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste

For gravy:
Peanuts/groundnuts – ¼ cup
Almonds/badam – 5 or 6
Water – ½ cup

Other:
Onions – ½ cup (finely chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp (optional)
Cloves – 3
Cinnamon – ½ inch piece
Peppercorns – 4 or 5
Red chilli powder – 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tbsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – 3 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Take all ingredients except tomatoes under ‘For stuffing’ in a blender and blend it into a coarse paste. Keep aside.
2. Blend together the ingredients under ‘For gravy’ into a smooth paste and keep aside.
3. Take each tomato and cut its bottom part slightly so that the tomatoes can stand still.
4. Cut the upper part of each tomato such that you can push a spoon inside it and scoop out its juicy pulp.
5. Do not discard the pulp, we will use it for the gravy.
6. Prepare all the tomatoes by scooping out their pulp.
7. Stuff the tomatoes with the stuffing prepared earlier and keep aside.
   
8. Heat a deep pan with oil. Place the stuffed tomatoes in the pan, cover with lid and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes in a low flame. This will roast the tomatoes a bit.
9. Remove the tomatoes and keep them aside.
10. Into the same oil add the cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
11. Add the onions and fry till they turn golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute.
12. Add the tomato pulp scooped out from the tomatoes and also any stuffing left out.
13. Give a good stir and add the garam masala powder, turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry till oil separates.
14. Add the gravy paste prepared earlier, salt and water. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
15. Place the stuffed tomatoes gently into this mixture and cover and simmer for another 3 minutes.
16. Remove the cover, add the dried fenugreek leaves and remove from heat.
17. Serve hot with roti, naan or any rice.

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