4-6 large fleshy tomatoes (about 2¼ Ib/1 kg)
4 tablespoons olive oil
10 large cloves garlic, finely chopped (not crushed)
2-3 fresh green chilies, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
Small bunch of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, or 2 teaspoons crushed dried mint (not too much)
Bread, for serving
Using a sharp knife, slice each tomato horizontally in half (through the equator).
Arrange the tomato halves cut-side down in a frying pan large enough to fit the pieces snugly. Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes and set the pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Flip the tomatoes over and scatter half the garlic and chilies on the tomatoes and the other half in the oil. Sprinkle with the salt, cover the pan, reduce the heat, and cook until the tomatoes have started to soften but still retain their shape, about 15 minutes (less for smaller tomatoes). Check on the tomatoes several times while cooking and, tilting the pan, spoon some of the oil mixture over the tomatoes. When almost done, sprinkle the mint over the tomatoes, cover the pan, and cook for another minute or two.
Remove from the heat and serve immediately with fresh bread to mop up all the delicious juices. Leftovers can be lightly mashed with a fork or blitzed in a blender and used as a tomato sauce base for any recipe calling for it. Frozen leftovers will keep for at least 2 months.