Preparations:

Wash and cut tomatoes into medium sized pieces. Heat a pan and fry cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms on low flame till crisp. Powder the spices and cover the powder to retain the aroma.

Take tamarind into a microwave safe bowl and add 30ml water. Place this bowl in microwave oven and cook on high power for 20 seconds or till the water reaches to a boil. Cool the cooked tamarind.

Break red chilies into pieces. Fry cumin seeds and red chili pieces till crisp and powder them. Cover this cumin-chili powder to retain the aroma.

Powder the mustard seeds and keep it separately. Wash, peel and grate the ginger.

Method:

Heat a pan and add oil to it. When oil is hot add fenugreek seeds and fry till the seeds start changing color. Then add cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds and bay leaves. Fry the seasoning till the seeds splutter. Add grated ginger and tomato pieces & mix well. Add deseeded and cut pieces of dates (optional). Add salt and turmeric powder and mix once again. Cook covered on low flame till tomatoes are soft. Remove the lid and mix once. Extract tamarind pulp and add this to the tomato mixture. Mix and add sugar, grated jaggery, mustard powder, roasted cumin-chili powder, spice powder and mix well. Cook for a minute and transfer the TOMATO KHATTA to a serving bowl.

Points to Notice:

Cut tomatoes into medium sized pieces—so that we can see and feel the tomato pieces once the dish is prepared. If tomatoes are chopped finely they become mushy.

The powders we prepared for this recipe needs to be freshly ground to give a nice aroma to the dish. Roasting