Sarika’s Sev Tamatar Curry: A Symbol of Friendship & Nostalgia

Sarika’s Sev Tamator curry recipe is more than just a dish; it’s a symbol of friendship and nostalgia. She shares her recipe and takes us back to her college days – an exclusive for Different Truths.

Throughout my time at Pune University, I gained invaluable life lessons. The most significant of which is that life is incredibly unpredictable.

Life can be filled with greatness, weirdness, adversity, fascination, monotony, optimism, hopelessness, touching moments, and loneliness. It can be both the best and the worst.

Attending college exposes you to a diverse range of people, both as life lessons and beautiful experiences. You will face countless situations requiring immediate decisions without a clear understanding of right or wrong. You must complete assignments within specified timeframes, preparing you for the rigours of real-world deadlines.

After a tough day, you might find yourself crying all night. Yet, you are ready to conquer the world the following day with newfound confidence. Pune University taught me to hide my tears and to recognise that, no matter how I felt, I had to get dressed up and seize the day.

Recently, I returned to my university after 19 years with the same person with whom I shared Sabudana Wada, Misel Pau, Wada Pau, and many other delicious Maharashtrian dishes in the canteen. I introduced my friend, Mrinal, to these delicacies for the first time, and we reminisced about our old days together.

During our college days, we experience a diverse range of situations that prepare us for life. We meet different people, face different challenges, and learn to make immediate decisions without knowing right or wrong. College life perfectly blends exuberance and asperity, teaching us to hide our tears and face the world with absolute confidence.

Years later, when we revisit our university, we are reminded of the beautiful experiences we had and the lessons we learned. Recently, I went back to my university after 19 years with an old friend, and we indulged in all the Maharashtrian delicacies we used to eat together. Among those dishes, I remembered the Sev Tamatar curry one of my roommates taught me to prepare.

Sarika’s Sev Tamatar curry recipe is more than just a dish; it’s a symbol of friendship and nostalgia. As she shares her recipe, she takes us back to her college days when she lived with a roommate who introduced her to this delicious and comforting dish. With every ingredient and every step, Sarika fondly recalls the memories of cooking and sharing meals with her dear friend. This recipe is not only a testament to the flavours of Indian cuisine but also to the enduring power of friendship and the memories at Pune University that are associated with it.

It is important to note that this recipe may vary from person to person, but I hope you will enjoy trying out my version.

Sev Tamatar Curry

Ingredients

• ·       2 tomatoes chopped
• ·       ½ cup sev
• ·       3 tbsp groundnut oil
• ·       ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ·       ¼ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• ·       2 green chillies slit
• ·       10-12 curry leaves
• ·       2-inch ginger piece grated
• ·       ½ tsp asafetida (hing)
• ·       ½ tsp turmeric
• ·       ½ tsp chilli powder
• ·       4 tbsp coriander powder
• ·       2 tsp sugar
• ·       2 tsp lime juice
• ·       ½ tsp garam masala
• ·       ½ cup water
• ·       2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
• ·       Salt to taste

Method

·       Heat oil in a thick-bottomed deep pan (kadhai). Add mustard seeds and jeera and let them pop. Add curry leaves, green chillies, ginger, and sauté.

·       Add asafoetida, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, and sauté. Immediately add chopped tomatoes and cover for 10-15 seconds.

·       Uncover and add salt, sugar, lime juice, garam masala and water and mix well.

·       Let it cook for 3-5 mins till you see oil on top. Just before serving, add chopped coriander and sev. Mix well and serve with hot rotis. 

Photos by the author