Tomato Sherva

Biryani is a gem in Indian Cuisine and with Biryani there is some type of gravy or yoghurt relish (raita) or just a simple salad.

I usually make tomato sherva or sherpa or shorba, (different places have different names for this tomato gravy) whatever you want to call it. This is my absolute favourite side dish or curry to cook with biryani. Specially if I am making chicken biryani  sherva is a must as a side and it goes incredibly well with it.

There are different types of gravies served with biryani such as salan or sherva. Usually salan is served with Hyderabadi (south Indian) rice dishes and sherva is served with Lucknow style (North Indian) rice dishes.

Sometimes this gravy becomes too tangy because of the variety of the tomatoes, when that happens I like to add coconut milk or cream. You can make it richer by adding some cashew and poppy seeds paste, that gives a nuttier and amazing creamy taste.

But this is the recipe I usually make and it was an absolute hit in Tokyo amongst my students. I hope you lot like it.

Check out the some recipes here: Chicken Biryani

Egg Biryani

This is how you make this simple gravy.

Ingredients:

• 6 red ripe tomatoes or 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 onion finely sliced
• ½ cup beaten yoghurt
• 1 tbsp cream
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp each ginger and garlic paste
• 2 or to taste green chillies
• 1 tsp or to taste red chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 green cardamom
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp butter
• 0.5 tsp honey

Instructions:

Heat butter, add the cumin seeds and cardamom. Add in the onion and fry till they are dark brown in colour. Now add in the green chillies, ginger and garlic paste. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Add in the tomatoes, sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add in the yoghurt. spice powders and and cook till the tomatoes are cooked and oil starts to float.

Add some honey and cream. Garnish with coriander. Serve with biryani!