Tomato Chutney
From www.manjulaskitchen.com

Perk up your meal with this savory chutney. This chutney is best served as a side dish with any kind of stuffed Paratha or over plain white rice.

6 medium sliced tomatoes
1 tablespoon shredded ginger
4 green chilly sliced long ways
Pinch of asafetida (hing)
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon black mustard seed
2 bay leaves (this is Indian bay leaf - see note below*)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away it is ready.

Add the asafetida, black mustard seed and cumin seed. After seeds are cracked add bay leaves, paprika, and turmeric. Stir for a second and add sliced tomatoes and green chili.

Cover the pan after mixture comes to boil and let it cook for 6 to 7 minutes on low medium heat; tomatoes should be soft but still be in slices.

Mix the cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water and add to the tomatoes corn starch is added to give thickness to gravy but this is optional.

Let chutney cook for another minute. Add sugar and cilantro, close the heat and cover for few minutes. Adjust the salt, sugar and pepper to your taste.

Serves 2 to 4.

*Teja Patta, the Indian Bay leaf, tastes more like cinnamon, but milder, and is indeed the leaf of the Cassia tree. The Laurel Bay leaf, common in the West, has a completely different flavour profile, and is not a good substitute for the Indian bay, even if the recipe indicates that it is. There are no similarities between the two. The best thing to do if you don’t have Teja Pata is to leave it out altogether, or add a little cassia, cinnamon or an extra clove instead.