TOMATOES

The Following are the wonderful 10 benefits of our dear Tomatoes:

1. Anti-oxidant: Tomatoes contain a lot of vitamins A and C, mostly because of beta-carotene, and these vitamins act as an anti-oxidant, working to neutralize dangerous free radicals in the blood stream. These dangerous free radicals can cause cell damage. And keep in mind, the more red the tomato, the more beta-carotene it contains. Also, remember that cooking destroys much of vitamin C, so stick with raw tomatoes for these benefits.
2. Diabetes: Tomatoes also have plenty of the mineral chromium, which helps diabetics to keep their blood sugar level under control.
3. Smoking: No, tomatoes can’t help you stop smoking, but what they can do is to help reduce the damage smoking does to your body. Tomatoes contain chlorogenic acid and coumaric acid, which help to fight against some of the carcinogens brought about by cigarette smoke.
4. Vision: Because of all that vitamin A, tomatoes are also an excellent food to help improve your vision. This also means tomatoes can help your eyes be better about night blindness.
5. Heart troubles: Due to potassium and vitamin B, tomatoes help to lower blood pressure and to lower high cholesterol levels. This, in turn, could help prevent strokes, heart attack and other potentially life-threatening heart problems.
6. Skin care: Because of high amounts of lycopene, a substance found in many of the more expensive over-the-counter facial cleansers, tomatoes are great for skin care. The best way to use tomatoes for skin care is to peel a bunch of them, eight to twelve, then lay back and place the tomato skins on your face (or other skin areas). Make sure the inside of the tomato skins are against your skin, and let this sit for at least 10 minutes. Then wash off. You’re face will be cleaner and more shiny, though it also might be a little red from the tomatoes. Don’t worry, that red on your face will wear away.
7. Hair: Remember all that vitamin A in tomatoes? Well, it’s good for keeping your hair strong and shiny, and its also good for your eyes, teeth, skin and bones.
8. Cancer: Various studies have shown that because of all that lycopene in tomatoes, the red fruit helps to lessen the chances of prostate cancer in men, and also reduces the chance of stomach cancer and colorectal cancer. Lycopene is considered somewhat of a natural miracle anti-oxidant that may help to stop the growth of cancer cells. And, interestingly enough, cooked tomatoes produce more lycopene than do raw tomatoes, so enjoy that tomato soup!
9. Bones: Tomatoes have a fair amount of vitamin K and calcium, both of which help to strengthen and possibly repair in minor ways bones and bone tissue.
10. Kidney stones and gallstones: Eating tomatoes without the seeds has been shown in some studies to lessen the risk of gallstones and kidney stones.
 

 

  Tomato Dhal:

 Ripe Tomatoes                      -- 4 or 5 ( approximately 200 gms)

Toor dhal                                -- 1/2 cup

Green and Red chilli              -- 2 each

Garlic ( optional)                    -- 4 flakes

Tamarind paste                      -- 1 tsp( made into solution with a cup of water)

Mustard and Jeera                -- 1 tsp each to season

Oil                                           -- 2 tsp

Curry leaves                           -- a handful

1. Cook the toor dhal in the pressure cooker and mash it well.

2. Keep a tawa on the stove and season, mustard, jeera, and chillis

3. Add tomatoes cut into small pieces.

4. When the tomatoes get half cooked, add the tamarind solution with salt .

5. When the raw smell of the solution goes, add the cooked dhal.

6. When the dhal is dilute, mix one tsp of gram flour in a tbsn of water and add to the dhal.

7.Allow it to boil just for a minute and close.

This is an ideal and very simple side dish for rice, esp for broken rice and broken rice pongal as well as chappathi.

Variation:  Instead of tamarind solution, you can also add one tsp of lime juice to give a different taste.

!00 Gms of tomatoes contain the following

Nutritional values for 100 g

USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 13 (November 1999)

Nutrients	Units	Tomato raw
Water	g	93.76
Energy	kcal	21
Protein	g	0.85
Total lipid (fat)	g	0.33
Carbohydrate	g	4.64
Fiber, total dietary	g	1.1
Minerals
Calcium	mg	5
Iron	mg	0.45
Magnesium	mg	11
Phosphorus	mg	24
Potassium	mg	222
Sodium	mg	9
Zinc	mg	0.09
Copper	mg	0.074
Manganese	mg	0.105
Selenium	mcg	0.4
Vitamins
Vitamin C	mg	19.1
B-1 (thiamin)	mg	0.059
B-2 (riboflavin)	mg	0.048
B-3 (niacin)	mg	0.628
B-5 (pantothenic acid)	mg	0.247
B-6 (pyridoxine)	mg	0.08
Folate	mcg	15
B-12	mcg	0
Vitamin A	I.U	623
Vitamin A	mcg RE	62
Vitamin E	mcg ATE	0.38
Lipids
Fatty acids, saturated	g	0.045
Fatty acids, monounsaturated	g	0.05
Fatty acids, polyunsaturated	g	0.135
Linoleic acid (18:2)	g	0.13
Alpha-linolenic acid (18:3)	g	0.005
Cholesterol	mg	0