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–+ servings
Tomato Masala Paste

Tomato Masala

653kcal
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Prep 5 minutes
Cook 35 minutes
Total 40 minutes
A basic tomato masala recipe that can be used as a base for many recipes.
Servings 1 cup
Course Sauce
Cuisine Indian

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

Preparation
  1. Dice the tomatoes or crush them in a chopper.
    Tomatoes in Chopper
Cooking
  1. Heat 1 tbsp Oil in a thick bottomed pan on medium heat and add the Cumin Seeds.
    1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds, 4 tbsp Olive Oil
    Cumin Seeds
  2. When the Cumin Seeds start to sizzle, add the Ginger-Garlic paste and the Green Chilies. Fry, stirring frequently, until the Ginger-Garlic paste starts to turn brown.
    1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste, 1-2 Green Chilies
    Oil, Green Chillies, Ginger-Garlic paste, Cumin Seeds
  3. You will notice that the raw aroma of the Ginger and Garlic diminishes when it turns brown.
    Oil, Green Chillies, Ginger-Garlic paste, Cumin Seeds
  4. Next reduce the heat to low and add Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder and Dried Fenugreek Leaves and toast the spices for about 30 seconds. IMPORTANT: You must reduce the heat to low, otherwise the spices will burn.
    1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder, 1 tbsp Coriander Powder
    Oil, Green Chillies, Ginger-Garlic paste, Cumin Seeds, Spices
  5. 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
    Masala Paste
  6. Add the crushed Tomatoes, Kashmiri Red Chili Powder and Salt. Stir well so that the tomatoes get mixed with the spices.
    Crushed Tomatoes, Salt, Red Chili Powder
  7. Raise the heat to medium and cook, stirring every few minutes. Adjust the heat as needed as the sauce starts to thicken.
    Tomato Masala Cooking
  8. Cook until the excess liquid has dried up and the oil starts to separate out. For the quantity in this recipe, it took close to 40 minutes. TIP: The tomatoes initially absorb the oil, and as they start to cook and lose their water with the cooking, they release the oil. That’s your cue to continue to the next step.
    Tomato Masala Cooking
  9. Sprinkle the Garam Masala and mix it in. The Tomato Masala Paste is ready to use in any recipe. When using in a recipe, you can add water to adjust to your desired level of consistency.
    1/2 tsp Garam Masala
    Tomato Masala Paste

Nutrition

Serving1cupCalories653kcalCarbohydrates31gProtein6gFat59gSaturated Fat8gPolyunsaturated Fat7gMonounsaturated Fat42gSodium2532mgPotassium1540mgFiber12gSugar17gVitamin A5274IUVitamin C88mgCalcium111mgIron4mg

Notes

If you’re planning on storing the masala in the fridge, add a more oil since that helps to preserve it longer. 

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