Tomato curry recipe – This is one of the simplest curry from Indian cuisine. Onion and tomatoes form the base of our Indian curries. We generally use them to make any curry and top up with the main vegetable like drumstick, ladies finger, cauliflower etc. But using only tomatoes and onions we can make a great tasting curry.
I am sharing an easy and simple tomato curry recipe that can be prepared even by a beginner. This recipe needs no ginger garlic, no garam masala, yet it tastes great and is finger licking with a nutty taste.
It is a traditional way of preparing a curry in the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh. There are many other versions too. But this is the one I like and often cook. It goes well with steamed rice, chapathi or even with poori.
I generally don’t like to blend or grind tomatoes & onions except for the North Indian dishes. But if you don’t like to see the seeds of tomatoes in the curry, then you will have to discard them and use.
To make tomato curry, I have boiled the tomatoes for 3 to 4 minutes so that the skin can be removed easily. This is however optional. But the texture of the curry is good with blanched tomatoes.
Preparation
1. This step is optional. Wash and boil whole tomatoes in enough water to loosen the skin. This takes around 3 to 4 mins. But depends on the kind of tomatoes. While boiling just pick up one tomato with a spoon and check if the skin looks loose.
2. Peel of the skin and discard. Chop tomatoes to small, remove the core from the center.
3. Toast sesame seeds and make a fine powder. Set aside.
How to make tomato curry
4. Heat a pan with oil, add mustard cumin, curry leaves and green chili. When they splutter add hing.
5. Add onions, sprinkle salt and fry till they turn slightly pink not golden. Takes only 1 to 2 mins. Do not brown the onions.
6. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric, fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Cover and cook till the tomatoes turn fully mushy and soft.
8. Add red chili powder, adjust salt and fry for a min or 2.
9. Add fried gram powder or sesame seed powder. Mix and cook for a min.
10. Pour coconut milk. Mix well. Simmer for a min or 2. Off the heat. Do not cook for long else the coconut milk may coagulate.
Tomato curry is ready to serve. Serve hot with ghee and rice or roti.
For more simple curry recipes, check
beetroot curry
Capsicum masala curry
soya chunks curry
cauliflower curry
ladies finger curry
potato curry
Tomato curry recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 3 large tomatoes
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 1 green chili slit
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 Pinch hing (asafoetida) (optional)
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
- ⅓ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ¼ cup coconut milk thick (refer notes)
- 1½ tablespoons peanuts or sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
Preparation
- Optional step: Boil tomatoes for 3 to 4 minutes in 2 cups water. This will loosen the skin. Once cool, remove the skin and discard. Discard the core as well and chop the tomatoes.
- Toast the sesame seeds or peanuts on a low flame until aromatic and make a fine powder. If you do not have sesame, replace with almonds or fried gram. Set this aside.
How to make tomato curry
- Add oil to a pan and heat it. Add cumin and mustard, when they begin to sizzle add curry leaves, green chili and hing.
- Next add chopped onions, salt and fry lightly till they turn pink.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes. You can cook covered till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
- Next add red chili powder, sesame seeds powder or fried gram powder. Mix and cook for one to two minutes until the curry turns thick.
- Taste the curry and add more salt if needed.
- Add coconut milk and stir. When the tomato curry begins to bubble up, switch off the stove. Cooking for longer may coagulate the coconut milk.
- Serve tomato curry with rice & ghee or with roti.
Notes
This recipe needs only thick coconut milk. Do not use thin coconut milk as you will not get the flavor.
Sesame seeds: Traditionally white sesame seed powder is used but if you do not have you can use almonds or fried gram or even peanut powder.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Jessica Gomez says
This recipe was so delicious. I was not with a couple ingredients but it still turned out great using fresh home grown tomatoes. Looking forward to trying when I have the curry leaves and mustard.
swasthi says
Glad you liked it!
Sharmila says
Yummylicious!! Aunty, Can we use dedicated coconut powder instead of sesame?
swasthi says
I am not sure if desiccated coconut tastes good. You can try with roasted peanuts
MJJ says
I just made this for my wife (but a bachelor could do it ? ). Delicious! I doubled all the spices because a) we do not have very good spices and b) we LIKE spices. Thank you so much.
swasthi says
Welcome MJ
Glad to know you liked it. Thanks for writing
Lis says
How much turmeric? I think I added too much.
swasthi says
Hi Lis
1/4 tsp is good enough. If the flavor is a lot, add more coconut milk it will balance the flavor
bhuvana says
good
bhuvana says
its good but ingreadient is less but its can not keep for long time.
swasthi says
Hi Bhuvana,
You will have to double the recipe to make more
balu says
good
Sebeena Loyd says
it is really easy. nice one swasthi
Neela Manogar says
Looks delicious.
PT says
perfect with rice and roti.. i dont use coconut milk often in this curry..
Wer SAHM says
fast to make side dish…. looks grt
Mélange says
Indeed yummy and very handy Swasthi.
Sangeetha Nambi says
Yummy curry !!!
Sowmya Madhavan says
Would love it with my rotis.l
Gayathri Ramanan says
flavorful curry…it goes well with dosa
Navaneetham Krishnan says
Delicious and adore the tangy flavorful curry.
Shailaja Reddy says
Yummy and tasty curry.
kitchen queen says
delicious lip smacking tomato curry.
Kitchen Queen says
nice way to eat up tomato in summer. delicious.
Madhavi K says
yummy curry dear!
Sanoli Ghosh says
Wow, what a colourful dish. Mouthwatering here.