The smokiness of fire roasted tomatoes is essential for balancing out the fat and sharpness brought out by the other ingredients in the dish. It is possible to use alternatives of fire roast tomatoes which are fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato puree, canned tomatoes and sundried tomatoes are options you can consider. If you are looking to use other alternatives which are not tomato related, raw mangoes, pumpkins and alma are some of the best substitutes to use.
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Fire roasted tomatoes
Fire roasted tomatoes are tomatoes, charred over a flame before they are canned. At times they are added to garlic powder or onion which gives them a form of spiciness. They have a richer flavour and not only that; fire roasted tomatoes offer a thicker texture to your dish. These type of tomatoes are best when used in soups as that smoky flavour enhances the soup. It also works well in pasta and pizzas.
Freshly diced tomatoes
Freshly diced tomatoes are fresher and have a simpler texture but they can also be used in place of the smoky fine roasted tomatoes. Freshly diced tomatoes are healthier as they have not been processed. These tomatoes can be used anywhere where the fire roasted tomatoes can be used. Freshly diced tomatoes can be added into salads to make them appetising and they also can be added into soups. Unlike fire roasted tomatoes, a fresh tomato retains its water, it is capable of making your dish soggy if not eaten soon after serving. Storing this tomato may be problematic hence, it should be used on the same day. To get the extra flavour offered by fire roasted tomatoes, you can add a bit of soy sauce, liquid aminos and cooked onions.
Canned Tomatoes
Fresh tomatoes might be out of your reach for most people as they have no access to farms. Canned tomatoes are just as nutritious; they have lycopene known to fight cancer. These tomatoes also have a longer shelf life as they can be kept in the pantry. Just like fire roast tomatoes, this ingredient can be used for pizza sauce toppings and soup dishes, hence it is a good substitute. It also needs no labour since you can just pour it into your pasta, no need to chop it. Any dish made with fire roasted tomatoes turns out to be more delicious. Though we have said canned tomatoes work fine as a substitute, you can even add a pinch of smoked paprika to make up for that char only found in fire roasted tomatoes.
Sun dried tomatoes
If you really love fire roasted tomatoes, you are bound to love sun dried tomatoes as they are the next thing to fire roasted ones. Sun dried tomatoes would have gone through a food preservation process and they are marinated in salt as means of maintaining its freshness and nutrients. Sun dried tomatoes are the best substitute for fire roasted tomatoes as they hold the resemblance of the latter. A sun dried tomato causes your dish to have a salt, savoury and crunching texture too, though of course it holds no smoky taste. It can also be used for pasta and pizza. The only thing you cannot use it for which fire roasted tomatoes can be used for is making smooth soup.
Tomato Puree
This is a thick sauce made from straining fresh tomatoes. The tomatoes are boiled and mashed until are thick enough. Though tomato puree fail to give dishes the consistence found in dishes where fire roasted tomatoes are used, it can be used in stews, pasta, pizza, soups and sauces too. This makes it a good substitute for fire roasted tomatoes. To acquire a spiciness close to the smoky flavour of fire roast tomatoes, add chillies or pepper, that will give your dish a kick.
Tomato Paste
Tomato paste substitutes fire roasted tomatoes well as it has a thick texture which gives the dishes the desired consistency. The water content of tomato paste is lesser, thus it does not cause dishes to be soggy. If too much of the tomato paste is added into the dish, its flavour becomes too strong. You need to measure your tomato paste before using it. It also has a deep red colour which adds colour to the dish make it more appetizing. Tomato paste is a cheaper alternative and it substitutes fire roasted tomatoes in stews.
If tomatoes and tomato products are what you don’t have, you can still pick ingredients which can be used as alternatives to fire roasted tomatoes. There are other natural ingredients you can use instead of tomato canned and processed tomatoes in place of fire roasted tomatoes. You can use pumpkins, tamarind, raw mangoes, imla and lauki. These substitutes will give you the texture and taste of tomatoes in the dish you will be preparing though, they won’t provide the dish with that appetizing red colour
Raw Mango
When raw a mangos are properly cooked they will give your food a texture similar to that of fire roasted tomatoes. They are an economic substitute as less of them are needed to make curry compared to the quantity of fire roasted tomatoes you would use.
Tamarind
Tamarind is a good substitute for fire roasted tomatoes in relishes and chutneys. This is because tamarind has the same taste as that of tomatoes and it is even more concentrated.
Alma
This ingredient is also known as the Indian gooseberry and it looks similar and taste similar to green tomatoes. This makes it a good substitute of fire roasted tomatoes. Less of it is used in place of tomatoes especially in sauces.
Lauki
Lauki, also known as a bottle gourd can also be used as a substitute for fire roasted tomatoes. To add flavour to your lauki curry, add a little tamarind to your it.
Pumpkin
Naturally, pumpkins are sweet like tomatoes and hold the same texture thus, they are a good replacement for fire-roasted tomatoes. By adding pumpkin to a dish in place of tomatoes, you will be adding 189 calories to your dish. To give your sauce an extra savouriness, add garlic and onion.