Indian cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Tomato Chutney

South Indian chutney of roasted tomatoes, dried chilies and urad dal with a mustard-seed tempering.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 600 g tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp urad dal (skinned black lentils)
• 4 dried chilies
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 4 tbsp oil
• Salt

Instructions

1. Roughly dice the tomatoes and onion, crush the garlic, and break the dried chilies once.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, toast the urad dal for 2 min while stirring until golden brown, then briefly toast the chilies and garlic for 1 min and remove everything.
3. In the same oil, fry the onion for 4 min until translucent, add the tomatoes, and fry over medium heat for 10–12 min until they fully break down and the mixture is dark and thick.
4. Let everything cool with the tamarind paste, the toasted dal-chili mixture and salt, then blend into a coarse, spreadable paste, adding 2 tbsp water only if needed.
5. For the tempering, heat the remaining oil until very hot, add the mustard seeds and let them pop for 20 sec, then add the curry leaves and asafoetida – careful, it will spatter.
6. Pour the hot tempering over the chutney, stir in roughly once, and serve lukewarm or cold with dosa, idli or rice.