Hyderabadi "Tamata Chatni"

Hyderabadi "Tamata Chatni" Named as such cause we Hyderabadi's do not call it "Tomato" but call it "Tamata" - A very "Old City" lingo.

This is typically your Monday/Weekday morning Quick Fix. Shall be more useful if you are a Roti/Chapati/Partha eater and not a rice kind person. Takes about 12-15 minutes to prepare in all including Chopping, Cooking, Storage.

Ingredients

1. 5/6 Tomato's' - Chopped into 8/16 pieces each.
2. 8-10 Curry leaves ( a.k.a Curry Patta )
3. 1 Spoon Ginger+Garlic Paste ( yes you can use the ready mix available in stores)
4. 1 spoon mustard seed ( sarsoon )
5. 3/4 Dry Red chillies ( Lal Mirch )
6. 1 pinch of "Hing" (Asfoetida)
7. 1 teaspoon of salt ( flat measure is recommended)
8. 1/2 finger length of dry tamarind ( Emli ), Dissolve in 2 table spoon water.
9. 4 Table spoons of cooking/refined oil

How to make it

• Heat the oil in a kadai
• Add Red Chilly, then the curry leaves, then Mustard seeds.
• When the curry leaves turn whitish due to frying add the ginger garlic paste.
• Allow a minute, ans then add the chopped tomatoes and cook for about 5/7 minutes.
• When the oil starts to get separated from the mass of tomatoes add the tamarind juice & hing, followed by Salt.

Hints for cooking.

1. As this is express ready stuff, you may keep your gas burner on high flame.
2. Make sure if you do this that you are stirring this as often required
3. While stirring use a flat based stirrer to mass the tomatoes as you keep doing this so that it becomes a smooth paste.
4. Last and most important do not leave this item in any iron container, use Steel/Microwave stuff for storage.

Saves time every time!! "Happy Chatni - ing"

* Thanks to my mom who taught this to me to tide over the "Crunch times"