1. Red Capsicums

Fresh or grilled, these capsicums provide that sweet-tangy flavour of the tomatoes and will also enhance the colour of the food. And just like tomatoes, they are also nightshades. So, don’t overdo it. 

2. Olives

Olives also provide the savoury umami flavours you also get from tomatoes. That said, they are a different flavour profile and will take your dish a slightly different way. Also, they might be expensive, I have only seen them served on drinks. 

3. Raw Mango

Raw mangoes will also provide the sweet and tangy flavour to whatever you are cooking. However, depending on the mango, the intensity of that tanginess will vary. You will need fewer mangoes, of course!

4. Tamarind/ Imli

Why haven’t we been doing this already? Well, it can be slightly difficult to find at your everyday sabzi wale bhaiya, so just tell them to get it beforehand. Imli also has a far longer shelf-life than tomato. So…

5. Amla

Yes, sirf kesh kaale karne mein useful nahi hai ye!  The Indian gooseberry doesn’t just look like little time green tomatoes, it tastes pretty much like it. Well, in the same flavour profile, to be candid. Also, you won’t be using a lot of it in the food, so the price becomes a little irrelevant. 

6. Lauki

Hey hey, India Today suggested it. Alright? Apparently, you can use a bit of Amla and Imli to your lauki and it tastes very similar. I will not vouch for this one though. It could work but it just seems like a lot of work to eat lauki. 

7. Pumpkins

You will need to add some hot spices if you are using pumpkins to make up for tomatoes or you will be eating something really sweet, no matter what your intentions are. That said, it works really well if you are a good judge of potion control.

8. Yogurt

Having cooked meat for my partner’s family with yoghurt, I will personally vouch for this. It works. The portion is easily controllable and even if you over-indulge, there are easy ways to tone down the flavour. It’s definitely my go-to tomato substitute. 

9. Curd

It is very similar to yoghurt in the way it adds flavour to whatever dish you are cooking. You can pour a few spoons of curd over the dish or you can marinate your food in it, whatever you want. Again, even novices can deal with portion control in this case. 

10. Grapes

Not the overly sweet ones, of course, but yes, ones that are slightly sweet and have that tart flavour of tomatoes will go really well with whatever you cook. You can add some chillies to the dish, to adjust the intensity of the flavour. 

Please note, if any of these dishes start to taste a little too salty, that’s because you have been crying at the general state of things, and not because you can’t cook very well.