Tomato Bhorta is a Bangladeshi charred tomato mash — tomatoes roasted over an open flame or grilled until blistered and smoky, then pounded with mustard oil, raw onion, garlic, green chili, and cilantro. It is the quickest, most vibrant bhorta — smoky, tangy, pungent, and refreshing all at once.
Tomato Bhorta is one of the most popular bhortas in Bangladesh — quick to make, intensely flavorful, and using a vegetable (tomato) that arrived in South Asia via Portuguese traders but became deeply embedded in Bengali cooking. The tomatoes are charred over an open flame (or grilled) until the skin blisters and the flesh takes on a smoky flavor, then mashed with the classic bhorta ingredients: raw onion, garlic, green chili, mustard oil, and cilantro. The smokiness from the charring is what sets it apart from a simple tomato mash.
A bowl of red-orange, smoky, flecked mash with bits of raw onion and green chili. The tomato is smoky and tangy; the mustard oil is pungent; the raw onion gives crunch; the cilantro adds freshness. It is bright, sharp, and the perfect accompaniment to rice and dal on a hot day.
The tomatoes must be charred over an open flame (gas burner, grill, or even hot coals) until the skin is blackened and the flesh is soft and smoky. The skin is then removed (it slips off easily). The flesh is mashed (not blended — you want texture) with the raw ingredients. Mustard oil is essential for the pungent kick.
Variations
Some use green tomatoes; some add dried shrimp; some use less oil; the charring method varies.
On the Palate
Where Tomato Bhorta sits in the Bangladeshi flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 15 min active + 10 min waiting
- 15 min
Char 4 ripe tomatoes over an open flame (or under a broiler) until the skin is blackened and the flesh is soft, about 5 minutes.
Watch outChar the tomatoes over open flame until the skin is blackened and blistered — that smoke is the soul of the bhorta.
- 23 min
Cool; peel off the skins.
- 33 min
Transfer the flesh to a mortar.
- 45 min
Add 1 finely diced onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 chopped green chilies, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, and 1/2 tsp salt.
- 52 min
Pound to a coarse mash.
Watch outPound to a coarse mash, not a smooth purée — you want texture; blending it silky loses the rustic bite.
- 61 min
Add 2 tbsp mustard oil; mix well.
- 71 min
Taste; adjust salt.
- 81 min
Serve with rice and dal.
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