Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 dried red chile, halved
• 4 tomatoes, cut into small cubes
• 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled
• 1/2 cup grated jaggery (palm sugar), or to taste
• 4 dates, pitted and chopped (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon Indian black salt

Instructions

1. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat; add cumin seeds, bay leaves, and red chile pepper. Cook until cumin seeds begin to sputter, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Cook and stir tomatoes and ginger piece into cumin mixture until all the water cooks out of tomatoes, about 5 minutes. Stir jaggery and dates into tomato mixture; cook until jaggery dissolves and the mixture thickens, about 5 more minutes. Add black salt. Remove ginger piece and bay leaves from chutney before serving.