Tomato Chutney

For tonight's dinner, I made Idli Sambhar for the first time. Of course, Idlis do not taste good alone. I have always seen idlis served with coconut chutney and/or tomato chutney. I'm not too much of a fan of the coconut, but I absolutely LOVE the tomato chutney. I thought it would be difficult to make, but it just so turns out, that it is soo easy. Here's the recipe:

4 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 dry red chilies
Pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp sugar or to taste
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil in pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add the dry red chilies and asafoetida powder.
2. Next, add the ginger paste, garlic paste and onions. Sautee onions until they begin to turn a pinkish color.
3. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the red chili powder, salt and sugar. Let the tomatoes cook down and release its juices. There is no need to add any additional water. The oil will begin to separate on the sides of the pan.
4. Reduce heat and let tomatoes continue to cook for about 10 minutes until nice and soft. Then garnish with chopped cilantro. Remove from heat and let the chutney cool.
5. Once cool, puree the chutney in food processor. Remove into serving bowl and serve with Idli Sambhar or Masala Dosa. You can also eat plain on roti or a piece of bread. Tastes great as a sandwich spread.

I cannot get over how easy it was, and it tastes just as great as the chutney they serve in restaurants. Five Stars!