Tomato chutney

How to make tomato chutney Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon oil

On a medium flame, roast chana dal & urad dal (or peanuts) until aromatic & deep golden

Add half teaspoon cumin seeds & saute for a minute

Remove to a plate & set aside to cool completely

Next add 4 to 6 red chilies and fry until they turn crisp

Then add 1 cubed onion & 2 garlic cloves

Fry them until a sweet aroma comes out from the onions

This takes about 3 to 5 mins

When the onions turn golden add 3 large chopped tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon salt & 1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Saute until soft & mushy

The raw smell of onions and tomatoes must go away completely

Cool this and blend until smooth

Taste the chutney and add more salt if needed

You may need to pour little water if using peanuts

If you like thick chutney & the tomatoes are pulpy you can also skip water completely

Tempering tomato chutney – optional If you are on a low fat diet you can also skip the tempering

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan

Add ¼ tsp mustard seeds and ¼ tsp urad dal

When the dal turns golden, fry 1 sprig curry leaves and 1 broken red chili till the leaves turn crisp

Add hing & onion tomato chutney to the pan and mix

Or pour this tempering to the tomato chutney

Serve with idli, dosa and pesarattu

You can also refrigerate the chutney & use