Tomato chutney (thakkali chutney)

This simple tomato chutney is a staple in southern India where it is eaten as a condiment with most meals.

Credit: Chris Chen

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• 4 dried long red chillies, broken in half
• 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds (see Note)
• 1 tsp urad dhal (see Note)
• 15 fresh curry leaves (see Note)

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and cumin, and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and 2 dried chillies, and cook for a further 3 minutes. Season with salt and add chilli powder, if using. Transfer to a small food processor and process to a coarse paste.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cook for 30 seconds or until oil begins to spit. Add urad dhal and remaining 2 dried chillies, and cook for 2 minutes or until dhal is light golden. Add curry leaves and cook for a few seconds or until fragrant. Pour mixture over paste and serve.

Notes
• Black mustard seeds and curry leaves are available from select greengrocers, delis and Indian food shops.

• Urad dhal, available from Indian food shops, are small split black lentils; when split they are white in colour. 

Photography Chris Chen. Food preparation Leanne Kitchen. Styling Berni Smithies.

As seen in Feast magazine, April 2014, Issue 30.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.