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Indian

Bilahi pitika (Assamese roasted tomato mash)

Vegetarian

বিলাহী পিটিকা · bilāhī piṭikā

Flame-roasted tomatoes mashed with raw mustard oil, onion, green chilli, coriander and salt. Pitika is the Assamese family of mashes; this tomato one, often with a sliver of bhut jolokia, opens an everyday meal of rice, dal and fish tenga.

Bilahi pitika (Assamese roasted tomato mash) is an Indian condiment, ready in about 26 minutes and made with tomato and mustard oil. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
8 min
Cook
8 min
Rest
10 min
Total
26 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
39

Ingredients

4 servings (about 80 g)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Wash and dry the tomatoes (opens in a new tab). Finely chop the onion (opens in a new tab), green chillies and coriander.

    An onion being chopped on a board
    How it looks · Photo: Christina & Peter on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Roast the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) (and garlic (opens in a new tab), if using) directly over a medium gas flame or on hot coals, turning with tongs (opens in a new tab), for 6–8 minutes until the skin is blistered and blackened all over and the tomatoes are soft. Assamese cooks often roast them in the embers of a wood fire.

  3. Step 3

    Cool in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then slip off the skins and peel the garlic (opens in a new tab).

  4. Step 4

    Mash the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) (and garlic (opens in a new tab)) with your fingers or a fork. Mix in the onion (opens in a new tab), chilli, coriander, salt and raw mustard oil (opens in a new tab) until well combined. Taste and adjust salt and oil.

    Potatoes being mashed
    How it looks · Photo: Mateusz Feliksik on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Assam, India · Commonly attributedPitika (mash) is a traditional Assamese category; the tomato version is a standard home preparation. Similar roasted tomato mashes are made across the North-East and in Bihar (chokha).More food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes · Side dishes
Cooking method
Grilled, Raw
Taste
smoky, tangy, spicy (chilli heat), fresh
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Tomato · Mustard oil · Onion · Green chilli · Coriander leaves
Techniques
Grilling · Charcoal grilling · Knife skills

Allergens

  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard oil

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

39 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 83 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 8%
  • Carbohydrate 39%
  • Fat 53%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy39 kcal47 kcal
Protein0.8 g1 g
Carbohydrate4.1 g4.9 g
Net carbohydrate2.9 g3.5 g
Sugars2.5 g3 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre1.1 g1.4 g
Fat2.5 g3 g
Saturated fat0.3 g0.4 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium296 mg359 mg
Salt equivalent0.7 g0.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
208 mg
Calcium
12 mg
Iron
0.3 mg
Magnesium
10 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
39 µg
Vitamin C
15 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
15 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: garlic.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Mashing by hand is traditional and gives the right rough texture.
  • In winter, Assamese homes use sour local tomatoes; add a squeeze of lemon if yours are sweet.

Common mistakes

  • Blending it smooth — pitika is a rough mash.
  • Using refined oil instead of raw mustard oil.

Serve with

  • Serve with rice, masoor dal and masor tenga (sour fish curry).
  • Eat with khar dishes, or with alu pitika and begun pitika as a trio.

Food safety

  • Eat the same day or refrigerate; it contains raw onion and spoils quickly.

Storage

  • Best fresh; keeps 1 day in the fridge.

Variations

  • Bilahi-maas pitika: Mashed with flaked roasted or fried fish.
  • Begun-bilahi pitika: With roasted aubergine.
  • Bilahi khar: A different dish: tomatoes cooked with khar (banana-ash alkali) as a light curry.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Tomato, firm, ripe; whole, washed and dried; about 3 medium300 g
Used in steps 1, 2

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

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