Tomato Curry
If tomatoes are spilling from your larder, “this curry reigns supreme as the most delicious way to make a dent in the basket,” writes the farmer and cook Julius Roberts in his cookbook, “The Farm Table” (Ten Speed Press, 2024). A slow, steady cooking process, starring whole roasted tomatoes, is part of this curry’s promise, so take your time frying down the onions in the base, until they’re properly sweet and tender. Mr. Roberts says he drew inspiration from South Asian curries, in which you temper whole spices in oil to enjoy their musky fullness. It’s different than using just ground, though a little turmeric pigments the sauce gold, as in a Kerala-style egg curry. Marry those lovely flavor bases with plush coconut milk and the natural juices from the tomatoes. Serve over brown rice, with a leafy blanket of fresh cilantro and fried curry leaves.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 6 persons
Ingredients
- 10 ½pounds ripe small and medium tomatoes, a mix of colors and types
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- 2tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
- 5star anise
- 10cardamom pods
- 1heaping teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1heaping teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1sprig fresh curry leaves or 20 dried curry leaves, plus fried fresh leaves for serving (see Tip)
- 1large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1or 2 fresh red chiles (mild or hot, depending on your preference), finely chopped
- 1(3 1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger (1 ½ ounces), peeled and finely chopped (5 tablespoons)
- 1teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2(14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
- 3tablespoons plain whole milk Greek yogurt, or 2 teaspoons tamarind paste, plus more as needed
- Brown or white rice and fresh cilantro, for serving
Instructions
Step 1
Roast the tomatoes: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place the tomatoes on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and toss with the olive oil to coat. Season generously with salt and roast until the tomatoes are concentrated and caramelized, 40 to 50 minutes to 1 hour.Step 2
Meanwhile, make the curry: In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or deep skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the star anise, cardamom, cumin and coriander and fry, stirring constantly, until very fragrant but not burnt, a few seconds to 1 minute. Add the curry leaves and let them sizzle for a few seconds, then add the onion, garlic, chiles and ginger. Season with a generous pinch of salt. On low heat, cook until the onion is sweet and tender, about 15 minutes. Add the turmeric and cook, stirring, until fragrant, just a few seconds.Step 3
Stir in the coconut milk and simmer gently until the sauce thickens, about 40 minutes, then turn off the heat. Pour a ladle of the curry into a small bowl and add the yogurt to temper it. Whisk well, then pour this tempered mixture back into the curry. Taste and add more salt, yogurt and chile as needed.Step 4
Nestle the roasted tomatoes into the saucepan with the curry so as not to break them apart. Serve immediately with the rice, cilantro and fried fresh curry leaves (see Tip).