Tomato Chutney (chunky style)

This humble tomato chutney is hands down my favorite chutney. When I was little, I used to hate the coconut chutney that was made at home, because I found it runny and bland. I would pester my mom to make tomato chutney for me and refuse to touch my food until she did 😀 . If we ate out at hotels during our trips, the coconut chutney would be served in a cup – mostly diluted with water and white and flavorless. No sir, not for me. I would ask the waiter to get me a cup of tomato chutney, and gobble up my food in no time 😀

For something that is this simple to make, it packs in a lot of flavor, and can literally transform a boring dish into something tasty & peppy. Also, you can put a tomato chutney to innumerable number of uses. Besides the general use as a side to Dosa, Idly, Uthappam, Upma etc., it can be used as a sandwich spread (like I did in my Sweetcorn Mayo sandwich), for gravy in vegetable curries, as a side for chapatti, to mix with rice, as a base for spaghetti sauce (yep, it works really well!) etc.  In our home, my MIL makes it at least once a week. DH has it as a side with curd rice – that’s how much he loves it!

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes – 2 big (fully ripe but firm)
• Green chillies – 1, chopped
• Asafoetida / Hing – a pinch
• Black mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Kashmiri chilly powder – ½ tsp
• Sugar –  ½ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil – 3 or 4 tsp

Recipe

1. Heat oil in a wide bottomed pan on a medium flame. Test the oil by adding one or two mustard seeds. If it splutters right away, your oil is ready.
2. Add the rest of the mustard seeds. Allow to splutter.
3. Add the chopped green chillies and sauté quickly for 3-4 seconds.
4. Add the Hing and immediately add the chopped tomatoes to the oil and mix well.
5. Add turmeric, chilly powder, salt and sugar. Mix well.
6. You can add more water or less at this stage depending on what kind of consistency you want your chutney to be.
7. Let this mixture cook for 3-5 minutes until the oil separates and floats on top.
8. Switch off the stove and let it cool.

Serve with your choice of main dish. I had Dosas, with Coconut Coriander Chutney & this Tomato Chutney for breakfast. This is really versatile in terms of pairings, so experiment as you like! 🙂

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