This recipe is part of a series of sauce recipes. Preparing the sauce or the paste that creates the foundation of the flavors for the finished dish is often the first step. Learn to cook a sauce and you can prepare a wide range of recipes with a variety of ingredients – meat, vegetables, paneer, potatoes, etc. The sauce is a canvas for your creative expression, and I encourage you to deviate from the recipe and vary the selection and quantities of the spices, to develop a unique recipe for your personal taste.
What is Masala?
The Hindi word masala can have multiple meanings depending on the context. It may refer to a spice blend (like garam masala) or to a cooked base made from spices, aromatics, and ingredients such as onions or tomatoes.
This Tomato Masala is a versatile sauce base used in many Indian dishes. Making it in advance can significantly reduce cooking time when preparing curries or gravies.
Storage and Usage
If freezing, add only haldi (turmeric powder), as it acts as a natural preservative. Add other spices later when cooking. And, if will be refrigerating it, use slightly more oil to extend shelf life.
This Tomato Masala can be used as a base for a wide range of dishes. Simply add water to adjust consistency and incorporate vegetables, paneer, or proteins of your choice.
This recipe yields about a cup of the masala base. You can proportionately scale the quantities of the ingredients to make a larger batch; the cooking times will also be longer than the estimates indicated in this recipe.
I personally use the Cuisinart hand blender and chopper, and it’s incredibly convenient for quickly chopping onions and tomatoes when making the masala. The hand-blender attachment is also a huge time saver—you can blend directly in the pot without transferring everything to a separate blender.
Tomato Masala
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Olive Oil Can use Vegetable oil, Canola oil, Ghee, or other preferred medium.
- 4 cups Tomatoes Crushed, grated or chopped
- 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1-2 Green Chilies Finely chopped; adjust per your desired heat level
- 1 tbsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder Use Cayenne Pepper for extra heat; can substitute with Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Salt to taste
Method
- Chop, crush, or blend the tomatoes to your preferred texture.
- Heat the oil and bloom the cumin seeds: Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds, 4 tbsp Olive Oil
- Sauté aromatics: Add the ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilies.1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste, 1-2 Green Chilies
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture turns lightly golden and the raw aroma disappears.
- Toast the ground spices: Reduce heat to low. Add turmeric powder and coriander powder (and kasuri methi if using) and sauté for about 30 seconds.1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder, 1 tbsp Coriander Powder
- The spices will form a thick paste with the oil and the Ginger-Garlic and Green Chillies.4 cups Tomatoes, 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, 1 tsp Salt
- Add tomatoes and seasoning: Add the crushed tomatoes, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt. Mix well to combine everything evenly.
- Cook down the masala: Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the mixture thickens and most of the liquid evaporates.
- Cook until oil separates: Continue cooking until you see oil separating from the mixture. This could take up to 30-40 minutes, but that can vary for you. So the key is to rely on the visual cues.
- Finish with garam masala: Sprinkle garam masala and mix well.1/2 tsp Garam Masala
Leave a Reply