- 2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
- ½ cup minced onion
- 1 dried red chile
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 medium tomatoes (½ pound total), chopped
- ½ cup minced coriander or Chinese celery leaves (optional)
- Heat the oil in a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle and get aromatic, about 20 seconds (or just 5 seconds for ground cumin), then add the onion and chile. Stir briefly, then add ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and stir for a minute or so, until they start giving off their liquid.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the cover, lower the heat, and simmer a little longer, to reduce the liquid slightly.
- Taste for salt and adjust if you wish. (We like this slightly salty, especially if we’re serving it with grilled or roast meat, so we usually add at least another ½ teaspoon.) Just before serving, stir in the herbs, if using.
- TIBETAN GINGER-TOMATO CHUTNEY: I encountered another version of this salsa-like condiment in Lhasa. There the touch of heat came from ginger rather than from dried red chile. Substitute 1 tablespoon minced ginger for the dried chile. This chutney pairs especially well with beef dishes.