Sev Tamatar Nu Shaak Recipe (Kathiyawadi Style, Ready in 25 Minutes)

If you ask any Kathiyawadi family what they cook when there are no vegetables at home, the answer is almost always sev tamatar nu shaak. It is a spicy, tangy tomato curry finished with crunchy sev. It needs only tomatoes, a few spices and sev from your pantry, and it is on the table in 25 minutes.

I grew up eating this with bajra rotla, a spoon of ghee and a little jaggery on the side. It is also very good with simple rotis, thepla or even plain khichdi. Here is the way we make it at home in Junagadh.

Quick facts

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cooking time: 15 minutes
• Serves: 3 to 4
• Diet: Vegetarian (garlic is optional, so it can be made Jain-friendly)

Ingredients

• 500 g ripe tomatoes (4 medium, about 3 to 3½ cups chopped)
• 3 tablespoons oil (45 ml). Kathiyawadi food uses a generous amount, and it matters for the taste.
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
• 5 to 6 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)
• 2 green chillies, slit or chopped
• 1½ teaspoons Kashmiri red chilli powder (for colour and mild heat)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon dhana-jeera powder (coriander-cumin powder)
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar or jaggery, to balance the sourness
• 200 ml water (a little less than 1 cup)
• 50 to 60 g thick sev (about 1 cup). Use thick sev or “ratlami sev” or Kathiyawadi gathiya-style thick sev, not thin fine sev.
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Sev tip: Thick sev holds its shape in the gravy. Thin sev will dissolve and turn mushy in seconds.

Method

1. Prepare the tomatoes

Wash and chop the tomatoes into small pieces, about 1 cm. If your tomatoes are very sour, chop them finer so they cook down faster.

2. Make the tadka

Heat oil in a kadhai or wide pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add cumin seeds and hing. Add crushed garlic and green chillies and fry for 30 seconds until the garlic turns light golden.

3. Add the spices

Turn the heat to low. Add turmeric, red chilli powder and dhana-jeera powder. Stir for 10 seconds. Do not let spices burn, or the curry will taste bitter. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of water.

4. Cook the tomatoes

Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and sugar. Mix well. Cook on medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes are soft and mushy and the oil starts to separate on the sides. Mash them lightly with the back of a spoon.

5. Add water and simmer

Add 200 ml water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until you get a medium-thick gravy. Taste and adjust salt, chilli and sugar. It should be tangy, a little sweet and nicely spicy.

6. Add sev at the last moment

Switch off the heat. Add the sev and coriander just before serving. Mix gently and let it rest for 1 minute. Serve right away.

If you add sev too early, it will turn soft. Some people like it soft. In Kathiyawad, we usually like a little bite, so add it last.

Tips for the best sev tamatar

• Use ripe, red tomatoes. Unripe tomatoes make the curry sour and pale.
• Do not skip the oil. Reducing it too much makes the curry flat. If you want it lighter, use 2 tablespoons.
• Serve it fresh. The gravy keeps for 2 days in the fridge, but add fresh sev each time you serve.
• For extra flavour: add 1 teaspoon of garam masala at the end, or a spoon of ghee on top.

Variations

• Dhaba style: add 1 chopped onion and fry until golden before adding tomatoes.
• Extra spicy: add 1 more teaspoon of chilli powder and a pinch of crushed black pepper.
• No garlic: simply skip it. Increase hing to a generous ⅓ teaspoon.
• Gathiya tamatar: use broken gathiya instead of sev for a different texture.

What to serve with it

• Bajra rotla or jowar rotla with ghee
• Soft phulka or thepla
• Plain khichdi and kadhi
• Papad and a side of fresh onion and green chilli

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between sev tamatar and sev bhaji? They are very close. Sev tamatar is the simpler version, with mainly tomatoes. Some sev bhaji recipes use onions and more masalas.

Can I use tomato puree? Fresh chopped tomatoes give a better texture, but puree works if you are short of time. Use about 1½ cups of puree.

Why is my curry too sour? The tomatoes were very tangy. Add another ½ teaspoon of sugar or jaggery and cook for 2 more minutes.

Can I make it ahead? Make the gravy ahead and keep it in the fridge. Reheat, and add the sev only when you serve.

Final words

Sev tamatar nu shaak is proof that simple food can be the most satisfying. It needs no planning and uses things you already have. Try it for dinner tonight and tell me how it turned out in the comments. I will share more Kathiyawadi favourites soon, so stay with me.