Well - it's been a while since anyone has posted!
I am calling today's post a Bengal Style Tomato Onion Curry Sauce. I wanted to expand our Indian curry selections to some new flavor combinations. Aside from our old standbys, I wasn't sure what went with what so I decided to start with a recipe. I used Fish Curry Bengal Style from p. 103 of Mary Atwood's "A Taste of India". Of course I didn't exactly follow the recipe. First attempt at curried tilapia made a pretty good dinner. As usual, the leftovers were better the next day for having sat in the 'fridge overnight. I decided to make a bigger batch of just the sauce without the fish, put in jars in the 'fridge, and have it available. So the following is the sauce only. My plan is to heat some up and add a piece of poached fish; could do the same with chicken or parboiled cauliflower with chickpeas or potatoes and peas, or whatever.
The recipe calls for 3 large tomatoes, chopped. I used canned tomatoes with green chilies which added the chilies to the recipe and produced some heat. The recipe also calls for adding yogurt 10 minutes before the end and simmering. I did this on first trial and found that the yogurt curdles or clarifies so you don't a smooth cream sauce effect. Yogurt is good with this recipe but I find I just prefer to add it cold at the table. I also thought the recipe as written was a bit anemic so I doubled all of the spices (except the chili powder which I left the same because of adding the green chilies).
Since I was basically following a recipe and wanted to be able to write it up, I actually measured everything:
4 Onions, diced (452 g)
3 14.5 oz. cans Petite Diced Tomatoes, 2 with green chilies, one just plain
4 cloves Garlic, minced (16 g)
1 t. cumin
1 t. brown mustard seeds
1/2 t. ground cinnamon (I used Saigon cin. which is very pungent - just discovered it at Echo Hill)
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground cardamom
1/2 t turmuric
2 t. Paprika (I used sweet Hungarian)
1/4 t. chili powder (10,000 HU)
1 t. salt
Saute the onions and garlic in vegetable oil (recipe recommends mustard oil; I used coconut oil). Add the canned tomatoes. In a skillet, cook the powdered spices in oil (again, I used coconut) for 3 - 5 minutes, then add to the onions and tomatoes. Mix, add salt or to taste, and simmer until onions are cooked. Cool, transfer to jars. Yields about 3 pints.
I expect we'll have this for dinner tomorrow after it has sat for a day. I will let you know...
