Tomato Aspic Salad (Tamatar Kachumber)

Tomato Aspic salad is a magnet at parties. In this recipe, tomato juice is combined with gelatin and refrigerated in a ring mold to become a natural container for cut cucumbers, bell peppers, red onions, and peas. It is an adaptation of Western cuisine inspired by an incident about mixers. 

Growing Tomatoes : Tomatoes need 6-8 hours of sun to bring out their flavors. To keep them off the ground you will need stakes, cage or trellis most plants. Decide on a support plan before planting and add them after. For a strong tomato plant bury 2/3 rds of the stem. Give each plant enough room to grow. They grow long roots ; hence it is important to water deeply. They absorb nutrients better when the soil pH ranges from 6.2-6.8. Fertilize the soil with miracle grow and compost prior to planting.
https://bonnieplants.com/how-to-grow/growing-tomatoes/

Story: My mother was gifted a “Kenwood ” brand mixer from England by her brother-in-law. My dad wanted to test it and blended some tomatoes with a pinch of salt, sugar, and cumin powder. It was the most delicious juice that we had and still continues to be so. Later I modified the juice by freezing it with gelatin to make an edible container to hold the salad, akin to” Have the cake and eat it too”.

Nutrition Facts of Tomato 100g raw
(Lycopersicum Esculuntum)

Health Benefits of Tomato

• Heart Health: Lycopene and Beta Carotene present in tomato help lower LDL cholesterol, benefit against inflammation, and oxidative stress. They also show a protective effect on the inner layer of blood vessels and may decrease the risk of blood clotting.
• Skin health: According to a study people who ingested 1.3 oz (140 g) of tomato paste providing 16 mg of lycopene with olive oil every day for 10 weeks, experienced 40% FEWER SUNBURNS.

Spice & Herb Power

• Cumin powder: may help with drug dependence: Opioid narcotics create addiction by hijacking the normal sense of craving and reward in the brain, which leads to continued or increased use. Studies in mice have shown that cumin extracts reduce addictive behavior and withdrawal symptoms.
• Pepper powder: use of pepper powder helps promote weight loss, improve digestion, relieve cold and cough, boost metabolism, and treat skin problems.
• Lemon juice: has a high vitamin C content that helps improve skin quality, encourages weight loss, improves digestion, acts as a breath freshener, and helps strengthen your immune system.

Method to make Tomato Aspic Salad

• Wash and cut the tomatoes into quarters. (makes 1 cup of juice)(2 min.)
• Extract tomato juice in a blender and strain to filter skin. (2 min.)
• Empty gelatin into a saucepan, add tomato juice, and heat until it gets completely dissolved. ( 2 min.)
• Add salt, sugar, pepper, and cumin to the juice. ( 2 min.)
• Pour into a ring mold and refrigerate. (30 min.) 
• While the gelatine sets – (optional)
• Peel and chop red onion finely; cut cucumber/ bell pepper into cubes.  (2 min.)
• Press frozen peas between two paper towels to remove moisture.
• Combine salad dressing ingredients; mix with vegetables. (2 min.)
• Make a bed of lettuce leaves on a salad plate.
• Invert the tomato ring mold on the bed of lettuce leaves. (2 min.)
• To serve, fill the center of tomato jelly ring with cherry tomatoes or vegetables.

Serve Tomato Aspic Salad with Bread Croutons or Tofu cubes.

_{TIPS
To save on blending time substitute fresh tomatoes with canned juice
Add precooked or canned Garbanzo or Lima beans for protein enrichment
Place the ring mold in a bowl of warm water, before inverting, for quicker unmolding}