Tomato and Onion Curry

This Tomato and Onion Curry is not like other Indian curries I’ve made; I’m used to recipes where tomatoes are integral to the curry’s base, cooked down to melt into a rich, thick gravy redolent with onion, ginger and spices. But in this wonderfully quick and easy recipe from Urvashi Roe’s Biting Biting, the tomatoes remain fresh and light, bringing a brightness of flavour and delicate texture that sing of summer. This dish is perfect for a quick, flavourful lunch or dinner.

Read our full review of Biting Biting by Urvashi Roe.

If you want a way to show off your home-grown tomatoes, this dish is a great choice, but you can also use good quality shop-bought tomatoes.

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5 from 1 vote

Onion & Tomato Curry (Dhoonghree Tameta nu Shaak)

When you literally have a bare fridge and are not in the mood for a complex cook, this is your recipe. It is guaranteed to fill the kitchen with a wonderful aroma and bring warmth and comfort at the end of a long, tiring day. It’s fast to make and you can eat it unceremoniously with your fingers on cold leftover rice, crusty day-old parotha or even on toast or in a sandwich. We like it with torn baguette too. You can omit the ghee but I find it adds a velvety, buttery sheen, making this dish one you’ll want to lick off your plate. Green tomatoes or tomatillos work exceptionally well.

Author Urvashi Roe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp amchur
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cloves garlic, grated (optional)
• 4 large tomatoes, halved and cut into 2cm slices

Instructions

• Heat the vegetable oil and ghee in a wok or large saucepan until the ghee has completely melted and started sizzling. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and allow them to fizzle and pop for a few seconds. Quickly add the sliced onions and sauté them briefly so they are well coated. Add the chilli powder, turmeric, ground cumin, amchur and salt and then toss well so everything is thoroughly combined. Add a shot glass of water and the garlic if you are using it, cover and cook for five minutes on a medium heat until the onions are just starting to soften.
• Take a moment here to inhale the aromas and commend yourself for making this epic dish.
• Carefully fold in the tomatoes, then cover and cook for a further two minutes so the tomatoes are soft but still retain their shape. Eat immediately!
• Serving suggestion
• If for some crazy reason you have leftovers you can spoon the cold shaak over buttery toast and top with a fried or poached egg. Or this makes a great topping on hummus scattered over with toasted sunflower seeds and scooped up with pitta bread.

Let us know in the comments if you make this or have any questions!

Browse our full collection of curry recipes from around the world.

Kavey Eats received a review copy of Biting Biting: Snacking Gujerati-Style by Urvashi Roe from Kitchen Press. Recipe and photographs published with permission.