Sev Tameta Nu Shaak Tomato Sev Curry

Ingredients

• 4 large tomatoes — roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 10 curry leaves
• 2 green chilli — finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp jaggery — grated
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup thin sev (crispy gram flour noodles — buy ready-made)
• coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1. Heat oil and temper: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan on medium. Add mustard seeds — wait for them to pop. Add asafoetida, curry leaves and green chilli. Stir 10 seconds.
2. Add ginger paste: Add ginger paste. Stir 1 minute until raw smell disappears.
3. Add tomatoes: Add roughly chopped tomatoes. Stir well. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes until they begin to soften and release juice.
4. Add spice powders on low heat: Turn to low. Add turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Stir 1 minute.
5. Add water and cook covered: Add 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook on medium heat for 8 minutes until tomatoes have completely broken down into a thick pulpy gravy. Open and mash any remaining pieces with the back of your spoon.
6. Add jaggery and salt: Add grated jaggery and salt. Stir well. Cook uncovered for 2 more minutes. Taste — the shaak should be tangy from the tomatoes with a pleasant sweetness from the jaggery. This sweet-sour (mithu-khatu) balance is the Gujarati signature.
7. Adjust balance: If too sour, add more jaggery. If too sweet, add a few drops of lemon juice.
8. Remove from heat: Do not cook with the sev — the sev must be added fresh just before serving to preserve its crunch.
9. Serve immediately: Pour the hot tomato gravy into a serving bowl. Place a large handful of crispy thin sev directly on top.
10. Garnish and eat right away: Add fresh coriander leaves on top of the sev. Serve immediately — as you eat, the sev will softly absorb into the tomato gravy creating different textures in each bite. After 5 minutes the sev becomes soft.
11. Note: Sev Tameta Nu Shaak (sev = crispy noodles, tameta = tomato, shaak = vegetable dish) is made when there is no time or vegetables available — tomatoes and sev are always in a Gujarati pantry. The crunchy sev softens in the tomato gravy as you eat, creating pleasant texture changes in each bite. Must be served and eaten immediately for the best experience.