Tomato Masala Gravy / Chutney

More than the main dish, the challenge lies in making an interesting yet varied yet tasty side dish; one that gels well with the main dish in the making. Whenever we have Idlis / Dosas / Idiyappam etc, we typically run short of ideas... So, we need to keep innovating with chutneys and gravies. One such is this Tomato Kurma / Chutney (Tomao Masala Gravy).

While visiting many cookery blogs, some dishes stay with you and you want to try it out for your taste budzz... this is one such recipe, a Chettinad preparation.

Ingredients

• Tomato                  : 5-6 medium (based on Qty required)
• Onion                    : 2 medium or a handful of small onions
• Turmeric Powder  : 1/2 tspn
• Chili Powder         : 2-2.5 tspn (as spicy as you like)
• Coriander Powder : 1-1.5 tspn
• Salt                        : To Taste
• Coconut                : 1/4 cup grated 
• Green Chilies       : 2 (optional)
• Garlic                   :4-5 cloves
• Ginger                  :1 "
• Jeera                     : 1/2 tspn
• Clove                     :2-3
• Cinnamon             :1"
• Saunf (fennel)       : 1/2 tspn
• Oil                         : 2 tbspn (or more as rqd) - I used sesame oil (nallenai)
• Curry Leaves        : A few

Method:

1. In a kadai, add a spoon of oil. Fry Cinamon, Cloves, Jeera and Saunf. Remove from fire and take it in a mixer. Just saute garlic and ginger and add it to the mixer.
2. To this add the grated coconut, green chilies (if rqd) and grind it to a smooth mix
3. Separately, grind the tomatoes and keep it aside
4. In a kadai, add remaining oil. To this add the onions and let it cook to golden brown with a pinch of salt. To this, add the ground masala and coconut mix. 
5. Allow it to cook till the masala smell is absorbed
6. Add the tomato mix and cook it for a few mts.
7. To this add all powders :turmeric, coriander and chili (While adding chili powder, if you add a bit of oil and then the powder, it will give a rich color)
8. Mix it well along with salt. Add enough water and allow it to cook till oil starts oozing on the sides. You can either make it semi gravy (like Kurma) or like chutney; accordingly remove from fire. 

Serve it hot with Idlis, Dosas, Idiyapam, Rice etc.

NOTE:

• You can use more of green chilies and less of red chili powder to get the typical kurma color (pale green)
• You can make this as semi gravy like kurma or as Chutney (like i did)
• You can adjust the quantity of the masala items based on the flavor you need. I choose to keep it mild.

Onion-Garlic-Pepper Kuzhambu

** Moved from my earlier blog **

With a climate to die for in Chennai (;), I have been fighting hard the 'common cold / flu' whatever! Actually, I thank the flu as I read a novel after a long time, my only savior from this irritation and 'so-very-interesting work'! What next is when I thought of treating myself to something spicy but healthy - the age old, pepper-based gravy / kuzhambu. Pepper, garlic are powerful fighters against flu - try it out!

Onion-Garlic-Pepper Kuzhambu            Prep Time: ~ 15 mts    Cook Time: 15 mts

Ingredient                           Measure                               Remarks

Small onions                       1 cup                                    Peeled and sliced
Garlic                                 5-8 cloves                             Peeled and mashed
Tamarind                            Medium Lemon size              Soak it for 30 mts before you start preparing
Red Chilies                         3-4
Black Pepper                     1 -1.5 tablespoon                 As spicy as rqd
Thuvaram parupu               1 tablespoon                         Thuar dhal; yellow lentil
Uzhutam parupu                 1 tablespoon                         Udadh dhal
Salt                                    To taste
Mustard Seeds                   ¼ tsp                                    For seasoning
Curry Leaves                      Few                                     to grind and season
Oil                                      1-2 tblspn                            For frying

Preparation

• For Grinding:

1. Fry together black pepper, red chillies, thuar dhal, udadh dhal till they are golden (in very little oil).
2. Grind the above roasted ingredients with a few curry leaves and make a smooth paste.

• Main Preperation:

1. Extract thick tamarind juice (ensure tamarind is soaked 30 mts prior).
2. Peel onion and slice them.
3. Peel garlic and mash them.
4. In a pan, pour enough oil (1-2 tblspn). When it’s a little hot, add mustard seeds; Follow it up with a few curry leaves, onions, and garlic. Fry them till golden.
5. To the above, add the ground paste (pepper paste) and fry for a few minutes (2 mts or so till the pepper smell goes off).
6. To the above mix, add the tamarind juice extract, SALT, and a little water to dilute and get required consistency.
7. Boil till the oil separates and floats at the top.
8. Serve with hot rice & ghee, idlis, dosas.

Hmmm all done, this is how it looked like :)

Posted 28th October 2010 by Sri