Here is a dish that takes about 10 minutes to prepare. It is ideally made when tomatoes are in season, but even second-rate, out-of-season tomatoes are given a new life by this very Gujarati mixture of seasonings. It may be served at a meal with rice, a bean or split-pea dish, vegetables, and relishes. I also love a meal of this curry, Shrimp Biryani, and Spinach with Garlic and Cumin. If you are cooking Western-style grilled pork chops or chicken pieces, just slather this over the top. The combination is marvelous.

Ingredients

　　3 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　1/8 teaspoon ground asafetida

　　1 teaspoon whole black or yellow mustard seeds

　　1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

　　2 pounds medium-sized tomatoes, quartered

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1/4–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

　　1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

　　Pour the oil into a frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asafetida, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds in the order listed. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the tomatoes. Stir once or twice and add the salt, turmeric, and cayenne. Stir and add 3 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and ginger. Taste, and correct balance of seasonings, if needed. Cover and cook another 2–3 minutes.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.