Tomato Curry

Name: Tomato Curry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2½ pounds ripe small and medium tomatoes, a mix of colors and types; 3 tablespoons olive oil; Salt; 2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil; 5 star anise; 10 cardamom pods; 1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 heaping teaspoon coriander seeds; 1 sprig fresh curry leaves or 20 dried curry leaves, plus fried fresh leaves for serving (see Tip); 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped; 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 or 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); 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk; 3 tablespoons plain whole milk Greek yogurt, or 2 teaspoons tamarind paste, plus more as needed; Brown or white rice and fresh cilantro, for serving

Recipe from Julius Roberts

Adapted by Eric Kim

Updated Aug. 23, 2024

Tomato Curry — Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop Stylist: Heather Greene.

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Rating: 5(473)
Comments: Read comments

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. —Eric Kim

Featured in: How to Bring Out the Best in Your Last Tomatoes of Summer

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

2½ pounds 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
1 or 2fresh red chiles (mild or hot, depending on your preference), finely chopped
1(3½-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

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

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).

Tip

To fry fresh curry leaves, heat a skillet over medium-high, then add enough oil to generously coat the bottom. Add the fresh leaves from a sprig and stir-fry until crispy, just a few seconds.

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Ratings

5 out of 5

473 user ratings

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Comments

kswl1 year ago

You can improve the flavor of so so tomatoes throughout the year by sprinkling the cut surfaces with cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate), which heightens the tomato acidity and flavor without contributing any competing flavor of its own, like lemon juice and vinegar do.

Jagu1 year ago

Just a cautionary note: When you fry curry leaves in hot oil, expect some explosions! Keep body far, and use a cover for the pan. It should all be over in seconds.

JoCo1 year ago

One of the best curries I've made. Was skeptical during cooking as the curry seemed bland but when you put it all together this dish is WAY more than the sum of its parts. Added some broccoli rabe and basil about ten minutes before the end (no cilantro) and used tamarind concentrate instead of yogurt. Upped spices a bit, used 3 black cardamom pods and 7 green, subbed 5 kaffir lime leaves for curry. Added fish sauce to finish. Basmati rice. Topped w/fried shallots. Can't beat those tomatoes!

kathleen troeller1 week ago

41 grams of fat per serving is a lot. I will try with lower fat coconut milk or only one can coconut milk. I have lots of tomatoes in the garden to roast and freeze and will be making this dish with some of them.

Enigma2 weeks ago

There's no way I'm going to find star anise or curry leaves in my local stores. Any substitution(s) suggested?

Melissa H.2 weeks ago

Love this recipe! I grow my own heirloom tomatoes and I am always looking for a new way to use them. This is a great recipe that can be used "as is" or changed up a bit by adding chicken or other protein.

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