This Indian tomato chutney is one of the easier yet yummier chutney to make at home. This chutney is a great companion with steam rice, dosa, idli, or roti.
Similar with other traditional indian dishes that I posted before, I also learned this from my in-laws. ( My grandma, mom, and sis ) in-laws, are all amazing chef. I learned so much of their traditional food when I visited them last time. This tomato chutney is one of them. The interesting part is that not only I learned how to cook Indian food, I also learned lots of their culture, and eating ways.
Just like how we have entree, main and dessert when we went to western restaurant, in Indian culture, there are also something similar. Indian people start off their meal with condiments like tomato chutney, mixing it into rice. Then, move on to main vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes, then end it with yoghurt. If there are soup, then, they will have one more time of rice with soup before ending their meal with yoghurt. I find it really interesting with the way they eat, and I’m so glad that I get to experience difference culture. I guess this is the benefit of multi-culture marriage.
I love everything about the food and culture although I still couldn’t manage to eat rice with yoghurt. I get used to eat yoghurt as sweet yoghurt, adding fruits in it. Savoury yoghurt? adding it into rice? I think I still need more time to be able to eat yoghurt with rice.
After experiencing this amazing 1 week Indian culture, I finally understand why Dydy eat rice in a big amount. He actually eat 3-5 times more than me. I was confused when I first married and cooked for him, because in Chinese culture, we almost not eat much rice, but eat more of the vegetables, meats, or seafood. Unfortunately, in Indian culture, they couldn’t do that. 99% of their dishes are extremely hot. Therefore, they need to mix the curry with more rice, like 1 portion curry with 3 portion of rice. And, if you calculate with they are eating with 3 different curries, it’s like 9 proportion of rice in total. That’s is only Minimum. Rice is bad, Rice has too much sugar in it. Moreover, dydy has bad tolerance for sugar. Now that I know it, I cook rice enough just for 2 of us, and cook more curry with less chilli. That way, even if he want to eat more rice, there is no rice to eat. I know it’s bad, but I don’t have much choices, his health is the priority.
Oh no, I think I have bombarded this blog with too much of my story, I deeply apologise if my readers felt bored about it. I just love to share how the life of multi-culture marriage, and letting more people know that multi-culture is actually amazing. A lot of people, especially from more traditional culture, still couldn’t accept the fact of multi-culture marriage. I hope that one day people will understand, that no matter what culture, religion, colour you are, everyone is just a human being.
Note: Can you spot my big love in the tomato chutney?? Isn’t it cute???
- 5 small tomatoes, chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 green chilli, slit
- 1 handful mint
- 1 spring curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 garlics chopped
- ¼ cup coriander leaves
- ¾ tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon peanut
- 1 tablespoon sesame
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon tamarind
- Heat oil in a pan, add cumin and green chilli. Stir fry until few 1 minute.
- Add mint and curry leaves, turmeric powder, fry for another 1 minute.
- Add chopped tomatoes, mix well, and cook with the lid close until tomato turn soft and mushy.
- Grind peanut and sesame together. Set aside.
- Add garlic and coriander leaves, mix well, and let it cool.
- Grind tomato mixtures until smooth, and return back to the pan.
- Add coriander powder, cumin powder, sugar, tamarind, peanut-sesame powder, and mix well.
- Bring to boil and simmer until it reach thick consistency.