Tomato Chutney
Ripe tomatoes blended to a smooth purée and cooked slowly into a hot seasoning of mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves, until the purée thickens into a rich, tangy chutney. The only secret is patience and a low flame.
By Vegan Cook. Published 1 November 2026
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 4 (about 400 g)ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tspsalt, or to taste
- 1/2 tspred chilli powder, optional, to taste
- 1 1/2 tbspcoconut oil or mustard oil, for the seasoning
- 1/2 tspmustard seeds
- 1/2 tspcumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 tspurad dal (split black lentils)
- 8 to 10curry leaves
- 1 clovegarlic, thinly sliced, optional
Cookware
- Blender
- Heavy-based frying pan or kadai (a deep Indian wok)
- Wooden spoon
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Purée the tomatoes
Blend the tomatoes until completely smooth. There is no need to peel them first, because the blender breaks the skins down.
- 02
Make the seasoning
Heat the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait until they crackle and pop, then add the cumin seeds and the urad dal and stir until the dal turns light golden. Add the curry leaves and the garlic, if using. This step, known as tempering, fries whole spices in hot oil so that they release their flavour into it.
- 03
Cook the purée
Turn the flame down to low before adding the purée, then pour it in carefully, as it will splutter. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the purée has reduced to a thick paste, deepened in colour and the oil begins to separate at the edges. Keep the flame low throughout and do not leave the pan for long, because the thickening purée catches and burns on the base very easily.
- 04
Season and serve
Stir in the salt, and the red chilli powder if you are using it, then taste. Let the chutney cool a little before serving with idli, dosa or upma. It keeps for up to 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Serve with
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
Free of gluten, soy and nuts.