Ingredients
- 1/4 cup high-heat oil, such as peanut, grapeseed or canola
- 10 fresh or frozen curry leaves
- 4 dried red chiles
- 2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Pinch fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sambar powder (substitute ground coriander if you don’t have this)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- Pinch asafetida
- Scant 2 lbs tomatoes, chopped
- 2 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
- Up to 2 Tbsp sugar (depending on sweetness of tomatoes)
- 1 Tbsp salt
Directions
Heat the oil in a heavy pan, over a medium-high heat. Add the whole spices (curry leaves, chiles, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek). Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the spices are fragrant and the mustard seeds have stopped popping (just a minute or two). Add the remaining ground spices (cayenne, paprika, turmeric, and asafetida), and cook for just a half a minute to toast them. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, stirring, and the salt and sugar to taste. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the tomatoes break down, and the oil separates out. The time this takes will vary, depending on the liquid content of the tomatoes – generally about 20-40 minutes.
