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Paisa Vasool: 7 Delicious Curries You Can Make Without Tomatoes

Paisa Vasool: 7 Delicious Curries You Can Make Without Tomatoes
An Indian labourer fills plastic crates with tomatoes before they are repacked to be sold at a wholesale fruit and vegetable market on the outskirts of Amritsar on June 16, 2016.India's consumer prices rose faster than expected in May due to higher food costs, official figures showed, which will likely lead the central bank to hold off lowering interest rates. The inflation rate increased to 5.76 percent from a year earlier, substantially higher than the 4.8 percent recorded in March and 5.4 percent in April, reported the statistics ministry. / AFP / NARINDER NANU (Photo credit should read NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images)
NARINDER NANU via Getty Images
An Indian labourer fills plastic crates with tomatoes before they are repacked to be sold at a wholesale fruit and vegetable market on the outskirts of Amritsar on June 16, 2016.India's consumer prices rose faster than expected in May due to higher food costs, official figures showed, which will likely lead the central bank to hold off lowering interest rates. The inflation rate increased to 5.76 percent from a year earlier, substantially higher than the 4.8 percent recorded in March and 5.4 percent in April, reported the statistics ministry. / AFP / NARINDER NANU (Photo credit should read NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images)

Tomato prices have shot through the roof (at Rs 100 per kilo), owing to crop damage and inadequate storage facilities. However, there’s no need to mess up your painstakingly maintained family budgets. As vital as this staple is in Indian kitchens, there are alternatives to cooking food just as easily without it.

For instance, tamarind, and kokum are popularly used in Southern-style dals and gravies to provide that much-needed tartness.

Amchoor or dried mango powder is another excellent acidic substitute for heavier Mughlai dishes like Paneer Butter masala (check out the recipe below).

Goa features a local fruit called bimbli that can also be easily adopted as a souring agent to make curries sans tomatoes, while Kashmiri and Lucknowi dishes have always traditionally employed yoghurt for taste instead of tomato.

Other alternatives include kadoo (pumpkin), red capsicum and even strawberries for refreshing salads, sandwiches, stews and bakes.

But if you’re all about the desi cooking, here are 7 recipes that you thought relied exclusively on the tomato, but actually don’t.

Gobi Mattar Masala Curry

Get the Gobi Mattar Masala Curry recipe from aburstofflavor.

Shrimp Curry (Royyala Koora)

Get the Royyala Koora or Shrimp Curry Without Tomato recipe from My Spicy Kitchen.

Paneer Butter Masala

Get the Paneer Butter Masala Curry Without Tomato recipe from Best Food Recipes.

Chicken Coconut Milk Curry

Get the Chicken Coconut Milk Curry recipe from You Too Can Cook.

Aloo Curry

Get the Aloo Curry Sans Tomato recipe from Follow Foodie.

Nadan Meen Curry

Get the Nadan Meen Curry (Kerala Red Fish Curry) recipe from Yummy Tummy Aarthi.

Mustard Anda Curry

Get the Mustard Anda Curry – without Tomato & Coconut recipe from jopreetskitchen.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.