Tomato Kurma

5 from 4 votes

Tomato Kurma - a tomato-based tangy and mildly spiced curry that goes well with idli, dosa, chapati, parotta, idiyappam. This simple and easy south Indian style kurma get ready in under 30 minutes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, South Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 88kcal

Author: Geetha

Ingredients

1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml

1.5 Tablespoons Oil
½ Teaspoon Cumin
1 cup (or)133 gms Onion 1 large, chopped
1.5 cup (or) 272 gms Tomatoes 2 large, finely chopped
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric
1.5 Teaspoon Chilli powder
½ Teaspoon Coriander powder
as required Salt
handful Coriander finely chopped
1 cup Water

To Grind

2 Tablespoon Desiccated Coconut
1 Teaspoon Poppy seeds
½ inch Ginger peeled
2 cloves Garlic peeled
5-6 Cashews
2 Cloves
½ inch Cassia / Dalchini
1 Green Cardamom
3-4 Tablespoon Water adjust to help the grinding process

Instructions

In a blender, add desiccated coconut, poppy seeds, garlic, ginger, cloves, cardamom, cassia, cashews, water and grind it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
2 Tablespoon Desiccated Coconut, 1 Teaspoon Poppy seeds, ½ inch Ginger, 2 cloves Garlic, 2 Cloves, ½ inch Cassia / Dalchini, 1 Green Cardamom, 3-4 Tablespoon Water, 5-6 Cashews
In a kadai or deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
1.5 Tablespoons Oil
Once the oil is hot, add cumin and let it sizzle for a few seconds.
½ Teaspoon Cumin
Now add onion, saute and cook for 3 minutes or until onion turn soft and translucent.
1 cup (or)133 gms Onion
Reduce the heat slightly and add the coconut-cashew paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt. Saute well and cook for 2-3 minutes just until the raw aroma of the masala vanishes.
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric, 1.5 Teaspoon Chilli powder, ½ Teaspoon Coriander powder, as required Salt
add tomatoes, increase the heat slightly and cook until tomatoes start to soften.
1.5 cup (or) 272 gms Tomatoes
Add water and close the kadai with a lid and simmer for 5-8 minutes or until kurma reaches your desired consistency.
1 cup Water
Take the lid off the kadai, mix in coriander.
handful Coriander
Enjoy piping hot tomato kurma with idli, dosa or chapati.

Video

Notes

Add a small pinch of sugar if you feel the tomatoes are too tart, sugar balances the tartness of the curry.

Adjust spices as per your preferred taste.

Use well ripe and juicy tomatoes.

Ensure to keep the heat low when cooking ground masala to prevent it from sticking at the base of the pan. If moisture from masala evaporates completely then add a splash of water and continue to cook stirring regularly.

You can use the pre-made ginger-garlic paste instead of grinding fresh ginger and garlic. Cook ginger-garlic paste along with onions.

You can swap fresh coconut for desiccated coconut.

Whole spices cassia, cloves and cardamom can be sauteed in oil along with cumin instead of grinding.

Curry leaves make a great addition. I couldn't use it as I didn't have it when I shot this recipe video. Generally, I use curry leaves for most of the South Indian style dishes.

I've used a Kashmiri chilli powder that is not so hot but gives a vibrant deep colour to the dish. The curry is not so spicy but just enough for my family. You can add half of Kashmiri chilli powder and half regular hot variety chilli powder to balance the spice levels and colour of the dish.

Nutrition