Name: Christine Manfield’s sweet-and-sour tomatoes
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp brown mustard seeds; 4 tomatoes, quartered; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1½ tsp chilli powder; 2 tbsp white sugar

This is one of my all-time favourite tomato preparations. From Rashmi Singh at Rohet Garh, it epitomises the food of the desert. It can be served with other vegetable dishes and makes a great accompaniment to grilled fish or chicken, especially during summer when clean, light flavours are in demand. – Christine Manfield

Ingredients

1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

4 tomatoes, quartered

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp ground coriander

1½ tsp chilli powder

2 tbsp white sugar

Method

Main

1.Heat oil in a kadhai or wok over medium heat and fry the cumin and mustard seeds until they splutter. Add the tomato and stir until coated with the seeds, then stir in the ground spices, sugar and 1 tsp salt.

2.Add 1 cup (250 ml) water, then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes (not too long, or the tomato will break down). Sprinkle with coriander and serve.

by Christine Manfield, with photography by Anson Smart, will be published in October by Penguin Lantern ($89.95, hbk). Recipes have been reproduced here with minor
style changes. Manfield hosts a 16-day “Tasting India” tour from Delhi to Hyderabad for
starting 30 October.
This recipe is from the September 2011 issue of
.
Notes