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Photo: Getty Images / Dimitrios Kambouris
Padma Lakshmi is a celebrity chef, host of Bravo’sTop Chefand Hulu’sTaste the Nation, and anEatingWellcover star.And now she’s adding another accomplishment to her list: her newest book,Tomatoes for Neela.In this children’s book, Lakshmi and award-winning illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal take readers on a journey that spans multiple generations of family, food and treasured recipes.
Ahead of her book launch, Lakshmi shared a recipe for tomato chutney on Instagram and shared some of her own memories that inspired the story, including her mother cooking for her as a child and spending quality time with her daughter Krishna.
In the video, Lakshmi says this version of tomato chutney is mild enough for kids to enjoy and she encourages parents to use it in place of salsa for chips or for as a dipping sauce for a grilled cheese sandwich. While the recipe is called “Neela’s Tomato Chutney” in her book, Lakshmi shares that it’s actually her mother’s recipe that was part of her weeknight meals. “The real recipe comes from my mother. She was always working full-time as a nurse. She was very busy, but she always had hot fresh food on the table for dinner,” Lakshmi says.
After letting the spices marry, Lakshmi adds heirloom tomatoes to the pan and shares how she and her daughter Krishna would visit the Union Square Greenmarket together, where part ofTomatoes for Neelatakes place. Then, she lets the chutney cook down for about 30 minutes.
“The more you cook it down, the more concentrated the flavors,” Lakshmi shares as she adds a little salt and freshly ground black pepper to the pan. She shares that you can also add a little bit of sugar or jaggery (an unrefined cane sugar used in Indian and Asian cuisines) if your tomatoes are bitter or sour.
“This tomato chutney is such a nostalgic dish for me,” says Lakshmi in her Instagram caption. “My mom used to cook it for a weeknight when I was growing up, and we would use it on everything from roti to scrambled eggs.”
One commenter on Instagram says, “Love it on burgers—my go-to additions are shallots, honey, and chili pepper flakes.” Another commenter says, “I love how you have brought traditional South Indian Tamil recipes to the table, making it easy for everyone to learn and try it! Well, now I know what I’m making for dinner tomorrow night ❤️.”
If you’re a fan of Padma Lakshmi, check out her recipe forBeef Shawarma with Beet Yogurt Sauceand her list of10 Places in NYC Everyone Should Visit at Least Once.
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