Tomatillo is my new favourite vegetable. It looks like a green tomato but has a husk around it. When the husk is removed, you see a vegetable that looks like a green tomato. It is sticky and needs to be washed. The taste however is very different. It is more tart than a tomato. I would say it has the taste of a raw tomato and amla (gooseberry ) combined. It has this wonderful tart and slightly sweet taste and you could whip up a salsa in no time. The salsa thickens the next day. I tried it with dosa the next day and it went really well as a chutney. I have used raw tomato as a substitute with some extra lemon juice but would next time throw in some gooseberry or a piece of raw mango instead.

Ingredients

• tomatillos 6 nos
• garlic 2-3 cloves
• seranno or jalapenos 2-3 (increase or decrease according to spice level)
• onion- chopped 1/4 cup
• cilantro 3-4 tbsp
• lime/lemon juice (optional)- depending on the sourness of the tomatillo
• 1 tsp vegetable or olive oil
• Salt to taste

Directions

• Turn on the oven to broil
• Chop 1/4 cup onions and soak in cold water
• On a baking tray, place aluminium foil or parchment paper
• Remove husk from tomatillo and wash well
• Place on pan. Add garlic and chillies. Drizzle with oil
• Place under broiler for 3-4 minutes
• Remove garlic and chillies and place aside. Turn tomatillos and grill for another 3-4 minutes
• Remove and add all ingredients (including the juices on the pan) except lemon juice to food processor/mixer and grind to a fine paste
• Add salt to taste and lemon juice if required.
• Serve with chips or on tacos/ quesadillas or with idli or dosa as chutney