Ingredients

• 4 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 5–6 dried red chillies (adjust to taste)
• 3 cloves garlic

• 2 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• Pinch of asafoetida (hing)

• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp sugar or jaggery (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare Ingredients: Wash and chop tomatoes. Break dried red chillies and peel garlic cloves.
2. Soak Red Chillies: Soak dried red chillies in hot water for 15 minutes to soften.
3. Cook Tomatoes: Heat a pan, add tomatoes and garlic, and cook until tomatoes turn soft and pulpy.
4. Grind the Chutney: Blend cooked tomatoes, soaked chillies, and salt into a coarse paste.
5. Heat Oil: Heat oil in a small pan on medium flame.
6. Add Tempering: Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and hing. Let them crackle.
7. Combine & Simmer: Add ground chutney to the tempering and simmer for 3–4 minutes.
8. Finish & Serve: Adjust seasoning, add sugar if needed, and serve fresh or cooled.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Bold, spicy flavour
• Quick and easy to prepare
• Perfect with Indian meals
• Customisable heat level
• No preservatives

Common Mistakes

• Using unripe tomatoes
• Burning the tempering
• Making chutney too watery
• Overpowering with garlic

Variations

No Garlic: Skip garlic for satvik version.
Smoky: Roast tomatoes before grinding.
South Indian: Add curry leaves in tempering.

Personal Note

Tamatar ki tikhi chutney is something I always make when tomatoes are at their peak. A spoonful of this with plain dal-chawal is pure comfort. It’s simple food with big flavour.