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.)

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.