Tomayto, Tomato – Liquify This Plant for Everyday Cooking

Tomatoes are magical, versatile ingredients that can be used in a variety of both Indian and international cooking. They can be used chopped to add body to a dry gravy, or pulped or pureed to make a flavoursome base to a gravy or soup. It is possible to use both tomato paste and puree in your cooking.

First off, what’s the difference?

If you are a new chef who is starting out in the profession, or heading your own kitchen for the first time and want to make the use of ingredients clear to juniors working under you, there is a clear demarcation between tomato paste and tomato puree. The following are some clear differences:

• Tomato paste is often thicker and more viscous than puree.
• The consistency and taste of both are affected by the presence (or absence) of Natural Tomato Soluble Solids (NTSS). Paste from tomatoes has about 24% NTSS while puree may have about 8% NTSS.
• Paste made from tomatoes is often bland in taste, since spices, salt and other seasoning are not added to it. On the other hand, chefs prefer to add flavour to puree before using it in dishes – this makes puree easier to use in recipes than paste. But paste is the preferred option when making tomato ketchup owing to its thicker consistency and stronger flavour.
• Paste is prepared by cooking ripe tomatoes and straining them, then cooking and straining again to remove extra fluid. The cooking is done for a long time to reduce the tomatoes. Meanwhile, puree is not cooked for long and strained as is. Since it retains a lot of water content, puree is runnier than paste.
• Certain recipes call for the use of tomato puree while others call for paste. Too much paste is not recommended in any recipe since the flavour is quite concentrated and may change the end result you are aiming for. If a recipe calls for a spoonful of puree but you do not have it at hand, then you can use 1/3 spoon of paste – and vice versa.

A quick guide to using paste and puree in everyday cooking

As a busy chef manning a restaurant kitchen, you must dish out plate after plate of delicious food that retains the same taste and consistency of texture with every single attempt. You and your team hardly have the time to make fresh batches of purees and pastes to add to your cooking. The best thing to do is to arm yourself with a packet of ready tomato puree and/or paste as per the recipe you are creating. This is why:

• A restaurant cannot have differing tastes for its dishes. This is allowed only in informal home cooking, not in a restaurant setting. If you have a ready bag of a branded puree or paste at your disposal, you will get the same taste for your dish every single time.
• The manufacturer also supplies a handy guide to using the paste or puree, so you can use just the right amount and make minor adjustments as needed.
• These ready pastes and purees are suitable for all cuisines and styles of cooking.
• There is no need to invest in machinery or take up storage space for them – the paste or puree comes in its own reusable bag. Just put it back in the fridge after use.
• The product allows for adjustments and modifications. You can use more if you are aiming to get a thick Indian gravy, or just a small diluted amount when making a clear soup.