KitchgrowKitchen growth, made calmer
Start planning free
Indian

Bengali Pora Tomato Makha

Pora tomato makha chars tomatoes whole, then crushes them with onion and mustard oil.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 6 September 2026Updated

Jump to recipe ↓
Bengali Pora Tomato Makha

15 mintotal

Prep 5 min · Cook 10 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
Medium
Add to your week

Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

Method

  1. Wash and dry the tomatoes. Apply a tiny drop of oil over them. Roast them directly over an open gas flame until the skin is charred black and peeling away.

  2. Remove the tomatoes from the heat and let them cool down. Once cool to the touch, peel off the charred black skin and discard it.

  3. Place the roasted tomatoes in a bowl and mash them well using your hands, keeping some chunky texture intact.

  4. Add the finely chopped onion, green chillies, and fresh coriander to the mashed tomatoes.

  5. Add salt and drizzle the raw mustard oil directly on top. Mix (makha) everything robustly with your hand to meld the flavors together.

How to tell it's done

A jammy, smoky, rustic mash punctuated with the crunch of raw onions and pungent mustard oil.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

119kcal

Where the calories come from

  • Protein2.4 g7%
  • Carbohydrate12.8 g40%
  • Fat7.4 g53%
Saturated fat
0.9 g
Fibre
3.3 g
Sodium
1176 mg
Potassium
543 mg
Calcium
34 mg
Iron
0.7 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

You can also roast the green chillies alongside the tomatoes for an extra dimension of smokiness.

What to serve it with

An incredibly flavorful side dish that turns plain steamed rice and dal into a feast.

Common mistakes

The makha tastes of scorched skin rather than smoke.
Char the tomatoes until the skin blisters and blackens in patches, then peel it all away before mashing. Burnt skin left in the bowl turns the whole dish acrid, and it is the one thing here you cannot cook out.

Storing and reheating

Keeps a day in the fridge, though the raw mustard oil dulls. Char and peel the tomatoes ahead if you like — they hold overnight — and mash them with the onion and oil fresh.