Description
Charred tomatoes with cold yogurt is a delicious dish with an amazing contrast between the hot, juicy tomatoes and cold yogurt. A classy dip, side dish or mezze with only a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 350 gr (~ 2 cups) cherry tomatoes
- ¾ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp coconut sugar *
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 1 lemon – , zest of half shaved off in 3 wide strips, the other half grated
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 250 gr (1 US cup + 1/3 of 1 tablespoon) yogurt (cold extra-thick coconut- or soy yogurt) **
- 1 tsp dried chili flakes, or ½ tsp regular chili flakes
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400 °F).
Put the tomatoes in a lined baking dish that’s large enough to fit them all closely. This is important for the tomatoes to be able to broil.
Add the cumin, coconut sugar, garlic, thyme, oregano sprigs, lemon strips, a pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper. Toss together with your hands.
Roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are beginning to boil and blister. There could be liquid bubbling out of the tomatoes.
Then then turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for 2-4 minutes. If you use oil in this recipe you could even grill them about 7 minutes until they start to blacken on top.
Meanwhile mix the yogurt with the grated lemon zest and salt, then return to the fridge.
When the cherry tomatoes are done, spread out the cold yoghurt on a large plate or shallow bowl. Gently spoon the hot cherry tomatoes on top, as well as their juices, lemon peel, garlic and herbs.
Serve immediately with the remaining oregano and chili and preferably with crusty (flat) bread or crackers.
Notes
*The original recipe call for light brown sugar instead of coconut sugar.
Also, the original recipe call for 3 tablespoons of olive oil. But since I don’t use any oil in my cooking at home I skipped this. I made sure my cherry tomatoes were juicy and slightly wet and they came out pretty well. If you would like your cherry tomatoes to be more charred, then coat the cherry tomatoes with oil before roasting them.
**this recipe is modified to a vegan version. The original recipe calls for 350 grams extra thick Greek-style yoghurt. As a vegan replacement coconut yogurt will be the thickest one and probably (texture-wise) the best to use for this recipe. However, I personally find soy yogurt a better match with the charred cherry tomatoes.