As tomato prices rise, two Mumbai chefs share alternatives to use while cooking

No gravey errorChef Jasleen Marwah better known as namakbyjasleen who runs Folk in Kala Ghoda along with a Kashmiri delivery kitchen says tomatoes uplift the flavour of a dish by adding khataas and body to the dish She makes rajma and rogan josh without tomatoes an otherwise key ingredient ldquoCurd is an easy handy and delicious replacement Itrsquos most readily available in homes It becomes a great backup Curd when used in less quantity is easy to use Only in dishes where it is predominant like a kadhi or a yakhni do we have to be careful while handling it The rogan we make at Folk has no onion tomato or garlic The khataas and gravy is made with curd And that is why the flavours are so unique and subtlerdquo says MarwahJasleen Marwah in the kitchen PicsSameer MarkandeThe chef prefers using curd and fennel powder in her rajma ldquoAdded to Kashmiri chilli powder the rasa gravy turns out smoother silkier and lighter This too was a practice because fresher ingredients were not always available in Kashmir This is a trick for all powdered spices An addition of dry ginger and hing and you could add it to any Kashmiri dishrdquoRajmaIngredients 14 kg rajma 1 tejpatta 1 cinnamon stick 4 to 5 cloves 5 green elaichi 2 black elaichi Salt to tasteFor tadka Mustard oil Pinch of hing 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 23 cup curd 2 tbsp fennel powder frac14 tsp sonth frac12 tsp Kashmiri tikki masalaMethodBoil rajma with tejpatta cinnamon stick cloves green and black elaichi Add salt to taste In mustard oil add hing Kashmiri red chilli and curd Stir till oil separates Add the boiled rajma along with fennel powder sonth and Kashmiri tikki masalaRogan JoshIngredients 1 kg meat 1012 tbsp mustard oil frac12 tsp hing 1 tejpatta 5 green elaichi 2 black elaichi 1 cinnamon stick 4 to 5 cloves 2 to 4 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 400 gm curd Salt to taste frac12 tsp ginger powder 2 tsp fennel powder 3 to 4 cups of waterMethodRoast the mutton in mustard oil along with the whole spices and hing Add Kashmiri red chilli powder mix well Add salt to taste Add 200 gram curd and cook After a while add another 200 gram curd and cook till oil separates Add ginger powder and fennel powder Add three to four cups of water and pressure cookIn the redFrom Rs 40 per kg the cost of tomatoes shot up to Rs 50 Rs 60 and according to our local vendor it currently stands at Rs 70When things go sourChef Sara Jacob Nair founding partner of Nair on Fire a premium chain of kitchens specialising in homestyle Kerala cuisine says ldquoTomatoes lend sourness and give body mouthfeel a specific flavour and colour to curries However it can be substituted with tamarind vinegar brindle berry mangoes or bilimbi The choice depends on the dish being prepared Vinegar and brindle berry are preferred when cooking a nonvegetarian dish and others for vegetarian dishes though the rules are not strictrdquo she shares In some dishes the substitution could result in compromising the overall taste and experience and hence needs to be done with caution ldquoWhile preparing sambar tomatoes can easily be substituted with tamarind This is because the body of the gravy can be managed by dal sambar powder and other vegetables The sourness levels can be managed by the quantity used as per preferencerdquo she suggestsKerala sambarSambarIngredients 1 cup tur dal frac12 tsp turmeric 5 heaped tbsp sambar powder 300350 gm vegetables drumstick yellow pumpkin small brinjal beans carrot and shallots Tamarind ndash lemon sized ball for medium sourness soak in warm water and make into a pulp and strained to remove strands and rinds Salt Curry leaves a mix of 1 tbsp ghee and 2 tbsp oil 2 tbsp oil Mustard seeds 1 small piece hing 1 tsp hing powder frac12 tsp methi seeds 4 pieces dried whole red chili Coriander leaves handful choppedMethodWash and cook the dal with salt and turmeric powder in a pressure cooker The dal should be well cooked and 34th of it mashed and the remaining kept as is Into a hot kadhai add oil curry leaves and the whole hing Now sauteacute the vegetables for about two minutes and add salt as needed Add enough water 3 to 4 cups to cover the vegetables well and let it cook through Add the tamarind pulp to the vegetables and bring to a boil and simmer for about three minutes Now add the sambar powder mixed in some of the hot vegetable gravy to avoid forming lumps and add to the vegetable mix Boil for a further two to three minutes till the sambar powder is cooked through Now add the dal to the vegetables and adjust the gravy to the consistency desired by adding water Boil this for about onetwo minutes Check the salt level at this point Add chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame Now heat a small tempering kadhai and add the ghee and oil mixture Add mustard seeds hing powder methi seeds whole red chili and curry leaves Pour the tempered ghee to the sambar mixture keep it covered for 10 minutes and serve with hot rice