Sev tameta nu shaak is a dhaba and home favourite from Kathiawad and Saurashtra, a region where fresh green vegetables were once scarce in the dry months. Tomatoes and the crunchy besan sev that every Gujarati kitchen keeps in a tin were combined into a curry that could be cooked in fifteen minutes. Highway dhabas around Rajkot serve it in large bowls with bajra rotla.
The base is a thick, tangy tomato gravy with garlic, red chilli and a touch of jaggery that rounds off the acidity. The sev goes in at the very last moment, so part of it stays crunchy while the rest softens and thickens the gravy. Thick ratlami or gathiya sev holds up better than fine nylon sev.
It is eaten with rotli, thepla or bajra rotla, often with raw onion, buttermilk and a green chilli on the side. Because it relies on pantry items, it is a frequent weeknight dish when the vegetable basket is low. Restaurants in Gujarat often finish it with a spoon of butter and a sprinkle of extra sev on top for crunch.
At a glance
| Region | Gujarat |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Gujarati |
| Diet | Vegan |
| Course | Main course |
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 15 minutes |
| Total time | 25 minutes |
| Serves | 3 |
| Spice level | Medium |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | tomato / besan sev / garlic / jaggery |
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe tomatoes (about 400 g), chopped
- 1 cup thick sev (ratlami or gathiya sev)
- 2 tbsp groundnut oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- A pinch of asafoetida
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander-cumin powder
- 1 tbsp grated jaggery
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
Method
- Heat the oil in a kadhai on medium. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle, then cumin and asafoetida.
- Add garlic, ginger and green chilli and saute for 1 minute until the garlic smells cooked and turns pale gold.
- Add the tomatoes with turmeric and salt. Cover and cook on medium for 5-6 minutes until they collapse completely.
- Mash the tomatoes with the back of the spoon. Add chilli powder, coriander-cumin powder and jaggery and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes until oil starts to separate at the edges.
- Pour in the water, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. The gravy should be fairly loose, since the sev will absorb a lot.
- Turn off the heat. Just before serving, stir in the sev and coriander and serve within a minute or two.
Tips
- Add the sev at the table if you are not eating immediately; it turns mushy within ten minutes.
- Use fully ripe, deep red tomatoes. With pale tomatoes add a spoon more jaggery and a little tomato puree.
- Groundnut oil gives the authentic Kathiawadi flavour.
Serve with
Bajra rotla or rotli, chaas, sliced onion and green chillies.