Tomatoes are a staple successful Indian cooking, bringing vibrant colour, tanginess, a small sweetness and extent to countless recipes. Their sheer versatility often helps bring a crockery together, while their earthy acidity balances spices beautifully. Firm ripe tomatoes are basal successful cooking, because they clasp their texture better, merchandise only conscionable capable juice without turning mushy, and besides supply that important equilibrium betwixt saccharine and sour. Today’s 2 dishes are premier examples of Indian location cooking and comfortableness nutrient astatine its best.
Tamatar atom (rice cooked successful tomatoes and spices; pictured top)
Serve this pinch immoderate dal aliases nutrient curry, though if you inquire maine it’s champion eaten by itself pinch yoghurt aliases a herb raita – to make nan latter, operation a mini chopped, deseeded herb into 150g yoghurt, past operation successful 25ml milk, a mini fistful of chopped caller coriander, a spoon of toasted crushed cumin seeds and play to taste.
Prep 10 min
Soak 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
250g basmati rice
250g patient ripe tomatoes (about 2 ample ones), astir chopped
6 tsp melted ghee
20g cashew nuts
1 tsp achromatic mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
10-12 caller curry leaves
2 banana shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
Juice of ½ lemon
Yoghurt, to serve
Soak nan atom successful acold h2o for 15 minutes, past drain and rinse thoroughly nether nan acold tap.
Put nan chopped tomatoes successful a blender and blitz smooth. Once pureed, strain done a sieve into a bowl, reserving nan liquid for later.
Put 2 teaspoons of melted ghee successful a wide cookware aliases wok for which you person a lid, put it connected a debased heat, past lightly toast nan cashew nuts – assistance them retired arsenic soon arsenic they commencement to alteration colour. Add nan remaining 4 teaspoons of melted ghee to nan aforesaid pan, extremity successful nan mustard and cumin seeds and, arsenic soon arsenic they commencement to pop, operation successful nan curry leaves and thinly sliced shallots. Turn up nan power to precocious and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Pour successful nan reserved herb liquid, navigator complete a mean power for 4 minutes, past adhd nan brackish and rice, and operation to combine. Pour successful 450ml just-boiled water, bring everything to a boil, past move down nan power and operation successful nan toasted cashew nuts and citrus juice. Cover nan cookware pinch a lid and time off to navigator for 8 minutes – nan thought is to fto nan atom sorb each nan liquid, truthful don’t touch it.
After 8 minutes, return nan cookware disconnected nan power and time off to remainder for astatine slightest 5 minutes earlier serving.
Tamatar ki sabzi (tomato curry)

Prep 10 min
Cook 35 min
Serves 3-4
30ml rapeseed oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp achromatic mustard seeds
10-12 caller curry leaves
1 mean onion, peeled and thinly sliced
20g portion caller ginger, peeled and trim into julienne strips
3 greenish digit chillies, slit unfastened lengthways
475g patient ripe tomatoes, trim into quarters
1 tsp oversea salt
1 tsp crushed turmeric
1 tsp sambar powder
1 tsp brownish sugar
15g chopped caller coriander leaves, to garnish
Rice aliases bread, to serve
Put nan lipid successful a deep, wide saucepan connected a mean heat, and adhd nan cumin and mustard seeds. As soon arsenic they commencement to pop, adhd nan curry leaves and sliced onion, and cook, stirring, complete a precocious power for 3 minutes. Add nan ginger and greenish chillies, cook, still stirring, for 2 minutes more, past move down nan power to medium, adhd nan tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Stir successful nan salt, turmeric, sambar powder and sugar, past move successful 500ml just-boiled h2o and time off to bubble distant mildly for 10 minutes.
Take disconnected nan heat, sprinkle nan chopped coriander complete nan apical and time off to remainder for 10 minutes. Serve pinch atom aliases bread.
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Romy Gill is simply a chef, nutrient writer and broadcaster