I guess this is my improvisation. Little original. Most recipes I post are. Never the traditional, but altered and made unique with my signature. This is one such a recipe.
Tomato is selling 3 kgs at Rs. 50/-. An abundance called India! So I am making the best use of the rich, ripe tomatoes pumped with lycopene. Together with cholesterol controller soya, it can make for a yummy recipe.
Soya is believed to be a major GM food so those in fertile years please stay away. But don’t ask me how come Malaysian Chinese harbour no such problems. Soy to be avoided until you are into your 40s and your childbearing years are over.
Minimal consumption like once a month or so fine until one may reach middle-age when it comes to Soy. Or for that matter any food be it fruit or vegetable that you may suspect to be GM.
For this yum tomato gravy, I have used 1 kg tomatoes and a handful of soya chunks readily available in our supermarket shelves.
Ingredients:
Tomato 1 kg
Soya chunks – a handful
Onion – 2 middle sized ones
Garlic – one whole
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Gingely oil 2 tbsp
Madras sambhar powder – 2 to 3 tsp (this is 50% dry red chili powder and 50% dhania/coriander powder that I grind and keep stock always in my kitchen)
Garam Masala powder -1/2 tsp (optional) (this too I have homemade with roasting and powdering nutmeg-cloves, bayleaf, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel etc). In this recipe I have not added garam masala powder but sauteed with bayleaf and cinnamon stick and cloves instead.
Turmeric powder just a pinch so as to maintain the rich reddish hue of the curry.
Salt to taste
Water (optional)
For tempering: mustard seeds, fennel seeds a tsp each. If you are to temper with bayleaf and cinnamon and fennel seeds, mustard seeds to be avoided as also garam masala powder.
Method:
Soak soya chunks in warm water for about 30 min and squeeze out water. Keep aside.
Peel and grate onion and grate tomatoes fine.
Peel and crush garlic.
Heat Oil in a cast iron kadai. When it reaches smoking point, temper with (i) mustard and fennel seeds or (ii) bayleaf, cinnamon stick and fennel seeds). Saute next onion to golden brown. Add crushed garlic and curry leaves next. Finally add the tomatoes. When the gravy is mushy, add the soya chunks whole or cut into half. Add a little water if so desire, I don’t. I let the soya chunks cook in the tomato juice. Add the madras sambhar powder and garam masala powder and turmeric powder(optional) Add salt proportionally keeping in mind the gravy will be thickening in consistency by the time you are done. Turn well and cook covered for about 20 min until the gravy thickens and the soya is well cooked. Season with cut and washed coriander leaves. Serve hot with rotis or rice. One of the yummiest curries especially in cold weather. Easiest to cook.
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