5 Tomato Gravies For Quick And Easy Cooking

Make delicious food in less time by preparing these tomato gravies in advance. Indian cuisine is known for its rich taste and flavours, and the key to a good gravy or curry is a base made of onions, tomatoes, and spices. Restaurants often keep these bases ready in advance, which helps them serve dishes quickly. If you're cooking at home and need to prepare a meal quickly, don't worry! We've got you covered. Here are five tomato gravy recipes that can help you prepare any special dish in just a few minutes. Plus, the best thing about these gravies is that you can store them in the refrigerator for a few days. So, without any further delay, let's take a look at these recipes.

But before we jump to the recipes, let's bring our attention to basic questions regarding humble tomatoes.

Which tomato is best for Indian cooking?

According to experts, desi tamatar (Indian tomatoes) are a better bet for your curries than the hybrid and genetically engineered varieties. As opposed to foreign or hybrid varieties like cherry tomatoes, desi tamatar are bigger in size, plump and sourer in taste. Desi tamatar is packed with beta-carotene, which gives it a scarlet tinge.

How to store tomato gravy? Can you freeze tomato gravy?

Is it possible to freeze tomato gravy? Absolutely. Once you've prepared the tomato gravy, cook it until the final step. After it has cooled to room temperature, place it in a container that is safe for freezing. If you intend to use a small amount of gravy at a time, you can freeze it in various containers, freezer bags, or even ice cube trays.

Here Are 5 Tomato Gravies For Quick And Easy Cooking:

1. Basic Tomato Gravy

Start with roughly chopped tomatoes in a pan and add onion, garlic cloves, ginger, green chillies, salt, red chilli powder, black cardamom, small cardamom, cinnamon, and butter. Add a little water and cover the pan, cooking until everything is soft. Remove the whole spices and grind the mixture in a blender. Filter and store in a bowl.

2. Onion-Tomato Masala

Finely chop onion and tomato, then heat oil in a pan and fry cumin, garlic, and onion. Add green chillies and tomatoes and cook with a lid, seasoning with salt. Add red chilli, turmeric, coriander powder, and cumin powder, fry for a while, then cool and store in the fridge.

3. All-Purpose Gravy

Fry chopped onion in oil and add chopped tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cashews, and melon seeds. Blend in a grinder, then add oil to the same pan, mixing in dry red chilli, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, mango powder, and the pureed tomato mixture. Cook until the gravy starts to ooze out oil, add water, and cook for a while longer. Store in a jar.

4. No Onion, No Garlic Gravy   

Fry tomatoes in a pan with oil, then add diced capsicum, ginger, whole red chillies, coriander stalk, and any whole spices of your choice. Blend the mixture, then add oil to the same pan, mixing in dry red chilli, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, mango powder, and the pureed tomato mixture. Cook for 5-7 minutes.

5. Tomato and Dahi Based Gravy

Heat oil in a pan, add finely chopped onions and green chillies, and saute. Add ginger garlic paste, pureed tomatoes, and spices, frying for a while. Add salt to taste, then add curd and fry until the oil separates. This masala adds an excellent taste to your vegetables.