Tomato

tamatar

A late arrival that rebuilt the gravy.

What it is

The tomato is a foundation of many modern gravies — cooked down to a tangy, savoury base that balances richness with acidity. Honestly told, it is a New World fruit, absent from the region until a few centuries ago, now so central it is hard to imagine the food without it.

Where it comes from

Tomatoes reached the subcontinent with European trade and spread into everyday cooking relatively recently. The better dishes cook fresh tomatoes down and sieve them for a smooth base, rather than reaching for concentrate.

What it's called

Tomato · tamatar (Hindi). Botanically Solanum lycopersicum. A New World plant.

In the kitchen

Fresh tomatoes are cooked down — often puréed or sieved — into the tangy base of a gravy; the technique of reducing them properly is what separates a good sauce from a raw, sharp one. Tinned tomatoes or passata stand in; concentrate is a shortcut, not the real thing.

What we know about the claims

Tomatoes bring vitamin C and lycopene and are an everyday, wholesome ingredient. No special caution.

Choosing and buying

Everywhere. For gravies, ripe fresh tomatoes cooked down are best; good tinned tomatoes or passata are a reliable substitute out of season.