I was visiting Bihar to attend the Kalachakra Puja at Bodh Gaya in January 2011. The Kalachakra tradition revolves around the concept of time (kaala) and cycles (chakra): from the cycles of the planets to the cycles of human breathing, it teaches the practice of working with the most subtle energies within one’s body on the path to enlightenment with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This was a very special moment as this was the last puja led by His Holiness. During the puja, I ate a lot of paley bread (traditional Tibetan flatbread) and butter tea. One day, one of the devotees got some tomato chutney from home to be eaten with the bread and tea. Trust me, this was a marriage made in heaven!
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp nigella seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp carom seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
4 dried red chillies, torn to pieces
6 (large) tomatoes, puréed
¾ tsp salt or to taste
6 tbsp sugar
Put oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add all whole spices together and sauté for about 30 seconds. Pour in puréed tomatoes and cook over medium heat till chutney thickens. Remove from heat, mix in salt and sugar, and stir till sugar dissolves. Remove into a clean, dry, airtight glass or ceramic jar and refrigerate to store for up to a week.