Baked Tomato Cups with spicy apple stuffing

This is a very healthy and unique dish that I came across in Nita Metha's book and tried recently. What is unique about this is that it has spicy apple stuffing!! The stuffing was so delicious that we had the remaining stuffing as such, like a salad :) I have baked the tomato cups. For those who don't have an oven, the tomatoes could be cooked in a double boiler method.

INGREDIENTS:

6 firm tomatoes

1.5 tsp mustard seeds

8 curry leaves

2 medium sized onions

4 tbsp sprouted green gram (optional) even boiled peas/chopped capsicum can be used

2 medium apples - finely chopped

4 tbsp brown bread crumbs (or even powdered rusk/marie/digestive biscuits)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp amchoor powder (dry mango powder for the tangy taste)

a few coriander leaves

METHOD

1. Cut tomatoes into 2 pieces. Scoop the seeds and sprinkle salt. Keep aside

2. Stir mustard seeds in a pan on low heat till roasted. Add onions. Cook for a minute and add the curry leaves and sprouts/peas/capsicum

3. Remove from flame. Add apples, pepper, salt, amchoor and bread crumbs. Mix well

4. Stuff the mixture into the tomato cups. To make the tomatoes stand upright, cut a thin slice from the base of the tomatoes

5. At serving time, bake at 200C for 10-12 minutes till soft but firm

6. If you do not have an oven, Pour water in a cooker, once it starts boiling, place the tomatoes on a raised plate above the water and cook closed for 10-12 minutes. (But these tomatoes might not be as firm as the baked ones)

6. Garnish each with coriander leaf. Serve hot