This delicious tomato and onion dish can be made at any time of year for a feel good comforting snack or lunch time treat.
The inspiration
I was nostalgic recently to have this tomato and onion dish my Mom and my Aunty Jaya used to make when I was much younger and growing up in India.
When we were living in India in the late 70s bread wasn’t widely available, and when we could buy it, it was more of a luxury than a norm. This meant that when we ate bread it was a treat.
One of the ways we had bread was with tomatoes and onion sautéd in butter. We would have this saucy tomato dish with buttered bread which as a kid who rarely had bread tasted like heaven to us back then.
About the recipe
My Mom and Aunty Jaya (Mom’s sister) would make this delicious saucy tomato and onions sautéed in butter, salt and pepper to have with our “toast”.
Since we didn’t own a toaster, toast in this case was white bread that was buttered and warmed on a pan to create that lightly golden toasted effect. This combo tasted amazing!
I remember whenever my sisters and I visited our Aunty Jaya and Chary Uncle in Mumbai we would always be welcomed with this delicious bread and tomato onion treat, because Jaya Aunty knew how much we loved it!
My nostalgia for this dish inspired me to make it for one of my twins recently
My nostalgia for my favorite dish as a kid inspired me to make it for one of my twins recently and I am happy to say that even today this simple food tastes as good as I remembered and was devoured by my kids 👍😊.
Winter or summer any juicy tomatoes will do great
In the winter I find tomatoes to be more on the sour side and these sour juicy tomatoes taste great in this dish. But honestly any tomato will taste wonderful especially sun kissed sweet summer garden tomatoes.
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, this is one tomato bread combo that will taste great no matter when you serve it. Here is the recipe.
Butter Sautéed Tomato and Onions on Toast:
serves 2
Ingredients:
- 4 slices of white bread any type
- 2-3 medium tomatoes cut into thin slices
- 1/2 medium onion – about 1 cup cut into thin slices
- Butter for pan frying
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cook’s Notes: To really enjoy the wonderful flavors of this tomato and onion dish use butter and not olive oil or some other oil. It’s the butter that gives the tomatoes and onions that wonderful feel-good taste and aroma.
Directions:
In a pan melt 2 tbsp butter. Add onions and lightly fry until translucent. Add tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes until tomatoes become tender and release their juices, but are still chunky. Add salt and pepper.
Turn the stove off and serve hot with toasted bread, or you can toast bread on the same pan with a little butter just the way my Mom used to make it 😋☺️.
Tomato and onion is a combination made in heaven. I’ve been cooking it for years. And my husband does it, too. I serve it on pasta, or occasionally as a side with meat or fish, as I’m not vegetarian.
Occasionally, I will add mushrooms, and sometimes a little spice, such as cumin.
But I agree that it stands well on its own, and with toasted bread sounds delightful.
Its definitely a wonderful combination tomatoes and onions, and especially delicious when cooked in butter! Your version with cumin and mushrooms sounds delightful as well.
This looks so good, thanks for the recipe. In Spain we eat something similar for breakfast. It is not cooked but the tomatoes here are so fresh, juicy and sweet we just finely grate them and serve them on toast, sprinkled with salt and pepper.
The Spanish version with fresh tomatoes sounds delightful! I think anything with fresh tomatoes is delicious!
Reblogged this on Crackling Pork Rinds.
Looks yummy! Will make this for lunch tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing your memories. Your mom and Aunt look beautiful!
OMG Basanthi, my kids loved this so much they have been asking me to make it again. Even Sridevi made it and thoroughly enjoyed the tomatoes and onions with white bread. I hope your family likes it too.
Thank you for your compliment on my Mom and my Aunty Jaya. They were beautiful ladies inside and out – very giving people ❤️💕.
Great memory, Dolly! Thanks. Keep up. Very timrly, Dolly as I shall be visiting Chay at MumbI on the 11th and enjoy his hospitality. My memory goes back to hot bajji and pakoda on a rainy day Jai made during my visit when Chary was staying opposite Haji Ali, sitting at the balcony enlying the rain!
Hi Dad, say hi to Chary Uncle in Mumbai for me! Haji Ali sitting on their balcony is where we enjoyed our times with Jaya Aunty and Chary Uncle too! This is the apartment where she made her tomato onion saute and toast for us. Remember the other balcony that looked over the horse racing tracks? We got the best seat in the house for those races 😀. Fond childhood memories for us young kids!!
Dolly , i added a photo of your mom , Thanga and i In my profile … pl take a look …
Omg ! Dolly – you made my day …. so lovely to see Jaiyyu and your mom on this International Women’s day whose very middle name is Compassion … I recall how Jaiyyu helped me so much in my Delhi days taking care of my Little Ones … Believe me , She made the best Cuisine ever … , and as far as your Mom is concerned , she was there for all her brothers and sisters in their Hour of Need and was utterly selfless … Thanks for sharing Dolly …
Hi Mami, just saw your comment on my post on Mom and Jaya Aunty. They were both loving and compassionate women. Such a joy to have been part of their lives.
How come you only make this when I am traveling?? :-).
Remind me to make it for you when you are back home!