Tomato Curry
A luxurious Parsi-style curry that creates a silky, aromatic gravy through a unique technique of extracting milk from a blend of fresh coconut and ripe tomatoes. This historical dish combines the tang of tomatoes with the richness of coconut milk, infused with a freshly ground paste of garlic, dry chilies, and roasted saffron. The result is a vibrant, golden-red sauce that pairs perfectly with steamed rice or Khichdi, optionally fortified with hard-boiled eggs for a complete meal.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Ripe tomatoes (Originally '3 Sher'. Peeling recommended.)
- 1/2 pound Onions (Originally '0.5 Sher'. Finely chopped.)
- 3/4 cup Ghee (Originally '1.5 Pasher' (approx 6 oz).)
- 2 tablespoons Coriander seeds (Originally '3 dessertspoons'.)
- 2 teaspoons Sugar (Heaped.)
- 2 teaspoons Salt (Heaped, or to taste.)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Heaped.)
- 5 whole Dried red chilies (Large Goa variety specified.)
- 16 whole Black peppercorns
- 12 cloves Garlic (Large cloves, peeled.)
- 1/2 teaspoon Saffron strands (Originally '5 Val' (approx 1.8g). Adjusted for modern usage.)
- 1 whole Fresh coconut (Large, ripe coconut. Grated.)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice (Or to taste.)
- 2 cups Boiling water (Originally '2 Pasher'. Used for second extraction.)
- 6 whole Hard-boiled eggs (Optional. Peeled and halved.)
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Instructions
- 1Grind the black peppercorns, dried red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and peeled garlic cloves into a very fine paste using a stone grinder or mortar and pestle.
- 2Lightly roast the saffron strands and crush them into a fine powder.
- 3Peel the tomatoes. Grate the fresh coconut. Mix the peeled tomatoes and grated coconut together in a bowl and mash them thoroughly by hand. Place the mixture into a strong, clean cloth (like cheesecloth) held over a bowl. Squeeze tightly to extract all the thick juice. Set the dry residue (pulp) aside in a separate bowl. Mix the powdered saffron into this extracted thick juice, cover, and set aside.
- 4Take the reserved tomato-coconut residue. Add the boiling water to it and rub/mix well to extract the remaining flavor. Strain this mixture through the cloth again into a separate vessel to get the 'second juice' (thin milk). Discard the final dry residue.
- 5Peel and finely chop the onions. Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot (traditionally a tinned vessel). Fry the onions until they turn red. Add the prepared spice paste and stir constantly until the mixture is fragrant and the spices are cooked.
- 6Pour the 'second juice' (thin extraction) into the pot. Add the salt and sugar. Stir well and cover. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the saffron-infused 'first juice' (thick extraction). Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to low (simmer).
- 7Simmer gently, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the ghee separates and floats on top and the curry thickens to a nice consistency. Stir in lemon juice to taste. If using eggs, add the halved hard-boiled eggs now and heat through. Remove from heat. Serve hot with boiled rice or Khichdi.
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