Processed Vs. Fresh Tomatoes: What Makes Sense For Indian Curries?

Posted by Kagome Foods India on March 26th, 2020

While tomatoes are present in every Indian kitchen and are a regular feature in many dishes, one question that has always been debated by chefs and food service industry is whether to use fresh tomatoes or processed tomato products, such as crushed tomatoes or purees.

Given their higher concentration of flavour, processed tomato products get a big thumbs up for the richer and stronger taste, along with the beautiful red colour they bring to a dish. However, it has been a popular opinion that with good taste, some health benefits of tomatoes are lost during processing. There is also a mindset that processed tomato products are not healthy, since most of the health benefits of tomatoes are lost during processing. Although this is the general perception, this could not be further from the truth.

Studies have in fact proven otherwise. The study by Gärtner et al, published in the  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, noted that lycopene from tomato paste is better absorbed by human body than lycopene from fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes are a rich source of the vital antioxidant, lycopene, which offers many health benefits, including improved heart health, better sun protection, and lower risk of certain types of cancer.

Source:- https://www.kagomeindia.com/blog/processed-vs-fresh-tomatoes-what-makes-sense-for-indian-curries/