What could be simpler than this dish? When I first tried it, I was very impressed by its simplicity and how easily it could be prepared with pantry ingredients. I even ordered this dish for my daughter’s graduation, and all the kids ate it, thinking it was spaghetti with marinara sauce. That was hilarious! These days you find gluten free spaghetti made with chickpea, quinoa pasta at the supermarkets. I can say these kids are way ahead of their time.
Ingredients-
6 tomatoes
2 tablespoons oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander-cumin
1 tablespoon jaggery or brown sugar
½ cup Sev, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish salt, to taste
Method-
Place the tomatoes in a deep pan with 3 cups of water and cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the water and allow them to cool. Peel the tomatoes, finely chop them, and set aside. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds; once they crackle, add the cumin seeds and ginger, sautéing for 8-10 seconds.
Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, ground coriander- cumin, the chopped tomatoes to the pan, cooking until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Stir in the sev and ½ cup water and bring the mixture to a boil once before turning off the heat. Mix in the remaining Sev and chopped cilantro leaves, then serve hot.
It’s crucial to add the Sev to the curry and for garnishing just before serving to prevent it from getting soggy. Serve warm with roti.