Preparing curries is an exciting process, especially for people who like spicy food. In the majority of Mexican and South Asian curries, tomato is an important ingredient. This is because tomatoes have a special flavor, which adds a perfect combination of sourness and sweetness to the curries. To be honest, tomatoes are readily available in the market, but if you cannot use tomatoes for any reason, we are listing some substitutes to complete the curry!
Tomato Substitute In Curry:
- Zucchini
The first substitute that you can try is zucchini and it’s needless to say that it doesn’t add the sharp tartness of tomatoes to the curries but it will help replicate the texture. The best thing about zucchini is that it is affordable and you can boil it to make the puree. Many people make the mistake of adding whole zucchini pieces to the curries but it’s recommended that you boil it and use a blender to make the puree. Once the puree is ready, you can add it to the curry and achieve a similar texture in the curry.
- Grapes
The second option is the grapes. The grapes are the most unconventional substitutes for tomatoes but adding a few grapes will help add the tart and sweet flavor to the tomatoes. The grapes are easily available in the produce section of the grocery stores but make sure you start with fewer grapes to make sure the grapes don’t overpower the flavor. In fact, many people suggest mixing a few grapes and zucchini to replicate the texture as well as flavor.
- Bell Peppers
The third alternative that you can try is bell peppers. In particular, you should use red bell peppers because it’s one of the most versatile additions to the recipes, including curries. The red bell peppers can be added to the curries in fresh form but you can also reduce them to paste or sauce to flavor the curry. In addition, if you want to add the spiciness as well, we recommend that you roast the red bell peppers as they have a more pronounced flavor. However, you have to mix the red bell peppers with some lemon juice to make sure it’s tarty as well.
- Umeboshi Paste
This paste has been around for hundreds of years and remains a delicious alternative to tomatoes in curries. It has a remarkable flavor and many people consume it regularly, given its medicinal properties. The best thing about using umeboshi paste is that it can flavor the curries as well as sauces. As far as the flavor is concerned, it has a mildly sweet flavor with a bit of saltiness as well as tanginess, which makes it a perfect replacement. In case you don’t know where to find this paste, you can find it in health food stores.
- Tamarind
Another substitute that you can try is to opt for tamarind. To be honest, tamarind might be expensive but its flavor is worth the price. Tamarind has a sour and sweet flavor, which helps replicate the tomato flavor, especially when you use it correctly. In particular, it’s recommended that you opt for tamarind paste to make sure it mixes well with curries and doesn’t have seeds. The tamarind paste can be used to replace tomatoes in Indian, Mexican, and Asian recipes. All in all, it can complement the flavor of spicy and savory recipes.
- Molasses
Molasses is another option that you can use to flavor the curries. However, you need to remember that molasses have a distinct flavor, which sometimes feels umami, so use it in less quantity. In fact, if you use molasses, don’t forget to add a bit of lemon juice to cover the umami flavor notes.
- Yogurt
Yogurt is one of the most popular substitutes for tomatoes that you can use because it thickens the texture of curry and has a sour flavor. However, the yogurt creates a strong sour flavor when it’s stored for one to two days in the refrigerator. On the other hand, if you cannot wait for one to two days, it is recommended that you mix yogurt with lemon juice to make sure it adds sourness to the curries.
So, which one of these tomato substitutes will you choose?