Kalliopi's KitchenYIAYIA'S GREEK FOOD RECIPES

Vegetables

Tomato

Ντομάτα · Domata

Ripe tomatoes used throughout Greek cooking

Tomatoes are a genuinely recent arrival in Greek cooking despite how central they now seem, reaching the Mediterranean from the Americas only after 1500 and not becoming a serious kitchen staple in Greece until the 19th century. Once they did arrive, they took over completely, becoming the base liquid for the entire ladera family of slow-cooked vegetable dishes and for most of the country's braises and stews.

Grated raw tomato, rather than a cooked puree, is a specifically Greek technique worth knowing: the flesh is grated on the coarse side of a box grater directly into a dish, leaving the skin behind in your hand, which gives a fresher, less processed base to a sauce than a tinned puree would. Dakos, the Cretan barley rusk dish, depends entirely on this raw grated technique.

Small, intensely flavoured tomatoes grown on Santorini's volcanic soil, in conditions too dry and mineral-poor for most other tomato varieties to thrive, are treated as a genuinely distinct and prized ingredient from ordinary tomatoes, valued specifically for that concentrated, almost sun-dried sweetness the harsh growing conditions produce.

Photo: Italian Vine Tomatoes (3026014294).jpg by THOR, CC BY 2.0.

Recipes with tomato

63 recipes on the site using it.

A tray of Greek moussaka with a browned bechamel top, one square lifted out Greek Main CoursesGreek Moussaka Μουσακάς · 1h 55m · serves 8 A Greek village salad with tomato wedges, cucumber, red onion and a whole slab of feta topped with oregano Greek SaladsGreek Salad Χωριάτικη σαλάτα · 12m · serves 4 Charred pork souvlaki skewers on a wooden board with lemon wedges and oregano Greek Main CoursesGreek Pork Souvlaki Σουβλάκι · 32m · serves 4 A slice of pastitsio showing distinct layers of pasta, meat sauce and golden bechamel Greek Main CoursesGreek Pastitsio Παστίτσιο · 1h 40m · serves 8 A dish of baked giant beans in a rich orange tomato sauce with parsley and olive oil Greek Main CoursesGigantes Plaki Γίγαντες πλακί · 2h 5m · serves 6 A barley rusk topped with grated tomato, crumbled white cheese, olives and oregano Greek SaladsCretan Dakos Ντάκος · 12m · serves 4 Thin strips of crisped pork gyros piled in a warm pita with tomato, onion and tzatziki Greek Main CoursesGreek Pork Gyros Γύρος · 2h · serves 6 A tray of baked stuffed tomatoes and peppers with browned tops and potato wedges between them Greek Main CoursesGemista Γεμιστά · 2h 10m · serves 6 A bowl of thick Greek white bean soup with carrot and celery, olive oil pooled on the surface Greek SoupsFasolada Φασολάδα · 1h 45m · serves 6 A tray of collapsed roasted Greek vegetables, browned at the edges and glossy with olive oil Greek Main CoursesBriam Μπριάμ · 2h · serves 6 Prawns baked in tomato sauce with melting feta and parsley in a small pan Greek Main CoursesGarides Saganaki Γαρίδες σαγανάκι · 37m · serves 4 Greek scrambled eggs with tomato and crumbled feta in a pan with bread Greek Breakfast RecipesStrapatsada Στραπατσάδα · 23m · serves 3 A pot of Greek beef stifado with whole small onions in a dark cinnamon-spiced sauce Greek Main CoursesGreek Stifado Στιφάδο · 3h · serves 6 A bowl of thick Greek lentil soup with olive oil and a small jug of vinegar Greek SoupsFakes Φακές · 1h 7m · serves 6 Crisp Rhodian chickpea fritters piled on paper with lemon wedges Greek Meze and AppetisersPitaroudia Πιταρούδια · 45m · serves 6 Cypriot koupepia stuffed vine leaves arranged on a plate with lemon Greek Main CoursesKoupepia Κουπέπια · 1h 50m · serves 6 A tray of Cypriot baked macaroni with a golden halloumi topping Greek Main CoursesMakaronia tou Fournou Μακαρόνια του φούρνου · 1h 35m · serves 8 A pot of Greek prasorizo leek and rice, pale and glossy with olive oil Greek Main CoursesPrasorizo Πρασόρυζο · 50m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesPastitsada Παστιτσάδα · 3h · serves 6 Greek giouvetsi baked beef and orzo in a clay dish Greek Main CoursesGiouvetsi Γιουβέτσι · 2h 55m · serves 6 Thessaloniki giaourtlou kebab with tomato sauce and garlic yogurt Greek Main CoursesGiaourtlou Γιαουρτλού · 45m · serves 4 Greek hylopites egg pasta with chicken in tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesHylopites Χυλοπίτες · 2h · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesMarouli Dolmades Ντολμάδες με μαρούλι · 1h 25m · serves 6 A pot of Dodecanese sitaraki pasta in tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesSitaraki Σιταράκι · 35m · serves 4 Greek soutzoukakia oval meatballs in a rich tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesSoutzoukakia Σουτζουκάκια · 1h 10m · serves 6 A pot of Greek fasolakia lathera green beans in tomato sauce Greek Side DishesFasolakia Lathera Φασολάκια λαδερά · 1h · serves 4 Santorini ntomatokeftedes tomato fritters, golden and crisp Greek Meze and AppetisersNtomatokeftedes Santorinis Ντοματοκεφτέδες Σαντορίνης · 40m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesHtapodi Krasato Χταπόδι κρασάτο · 1h 35m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesSkordostoumbi Zakynthou Σκορδόστουμπι Ζακύνθου · 55m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesPapoutsakia Παπουτσάκια · 1h 30m · serves 6 Greek melitzanes imam baked aubergine with onion and tomato Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Imam Μελιτζάνες ιμάμ · 1h 20m · serves 4 Greek melitzanes me feta baked aubergine with tomato and melted feta Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes me Feta Μελιτζάνες με φέτα · 1h 5m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesPsari Plaki Ψάρι πλακί · 1h 15m · serves 4 A pot of Greek bamies latheres okra in tomato sauce Greek Side DishesBamies Latheres Μπάμιες λαδερές · 1h · serves 4 A pot of basic Greek tomato sauce, saltsa domatas Greek Dips and SaucesSaltsa Domatas Σάλτσα ντομάτας · 40m · serves 6 Greek SoupsKakavia Κακαβιά · 1h 10m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesBakaliaros me Prasa Μπακαλιάρος με πράσα · 1h 15m · serves 4 Vegan Greek melitzanes gemistes stuffed aubergine halves Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Gemistes Μελιτζάνες γεμιστές · 1h 40m · serves 6 A pot of Greek arni kokkinisto lamb braised in red tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesArni Kokkinisto Αρνί κοκκινιστό · 2h 5m · serves 6 A pot of Greek melitzanes yahni aubergine and tomato stew Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Yahni Μελιτζάνες γιαχνί · 1h 10m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesSoupies Krasates Σουπιές κρασάτες · 1h 25m · serves 4 A plate of sliced Greek domatosalata tomato salad with oregano and olive oil Greek SaladsDomatosalata Ντοματοσαλάτα · 10m · serves 4 A bowl of Greek kritharosalata orzo pasta salad with tomato, feta and olives Greek SaladsKritharosalata Κριθαρόσαλατα · 32m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesKouneli Stifado Κουνέλι στιφάδο · 2h · serves 6 A pot of Greek kolokithakia yiahni courgette in tomato sauce Greek Side DishesKolokithakia Yiahni Κολοκυθάκια γιαχνί · 45m · serves 4 A bowl of Greek soupa kritharaki orzo soup Greek SoupsSoupa Kritharaki Σούπα κριθαράκι · 40m · serves 4 Greek Side DishesBulgur Pilafi Πιλάφι με πλιγούρι · 30m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesExohiko Εξοχικό · 1h 40m · serves 4 Greek astakomakaronada lobster pasta in rich tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesAstakomakaronada Αστακομακαρονάδα · 1h 15m · serves 4 A bowl of Greek angourodomata cucumber and tomato salad Greek SaladsAngourodomata Αγγουροντομάτα · 10m · serves 4 Aubergine-wrapped Greek dolmades in tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Ntolmades Ντολμάδες με μελιτζάνα · 1h 30m · serves 6 Greek loukaniko sausage braised in red wine sauce Greek Main CoursesLoukaniko Krasato Λουκάνικο κρασάτο · 50m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesMoschari Kokkinisto Μοσχάρι κοκκινιστό · 2h 35m · serves 6 A dish of Greek kotopoulo giouvetsi chicken and orzo in tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesKotopoulo Giouvetsi Κοτόπουλο γιουβέτσι · 1h 20m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesKokoras Pastitsada Κόκορας παστιτσάδα · 3h · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesPitaridia Kalymnou Πιταρίδια Καλύμνου · 1h 15m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesArnisio Kapama Αρνίσιο καπαμά · 2h 25m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesSpetzofai Σπετζοφάι · 50m · serves 4 Greek Meze and AppetisersMydia Saganaki Μύδια σαγανάκι · 40m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesBakaliaros Plaki Μπακαλιάρος πλακί · 1h 10m · serves 4 A dish of Greek kalamari gemisto stuffed squid in tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesKalamari Gemisto Καλαμάρι γεμιστό · 1h 20m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesHtapodi Makaronaki Χταπόδι μακαρονάκι · 1h 35m · serves 4 Greek Meze and AppetisersFeta Psiti me Ntomata Φέτα ψητή με ντομάτα · 35m · serves 4

More vegetables

AubergineCourgetteOnionGarlicCucumber