If you run out of tomatoes while making your own sabji at home, don't worry. You can make your gravy tasty and thick with a common ingredient in your kitchen.

Tomato option

Tomatoes are often used to make vegetable gravy tasty and thick. Tomatoes not only give the gravy a nice texture but also add a slight tang. This is why tomatoes are considered an essential ingredient in many vegetable dishes, dals, and curries. But sometimes, while cooking, we discover that we're out of tomatoes. In such a situation, there's no need to rush to the market.

If your vegetable gravy is thin and tomatoes are not available, gram flour can help. Gram flour is readily available in almost every Indian kitchen and can be used to thicken gravy. However, it's important to use it correctly; otherwise the gram flour can be unpalatable in the gravy.

How to thicken gravy with gram flour?

To do this, first take about 1 to 2 tablespoons of gram flour in a small bowl. Add a little water and mix well. Ensure there are no lumps in the gram flour. Then, slowly pour this mixture into the vegetable being prepared, stirring constantly with a spoon. After adding the gram flour mixture, cook the vegetable on low heat for a few minutes. The gravy will gradually thicken. If you prefer a thicker gravy, you can add a little more gram flour mixture.

Do not add gram flour directly to the vegetable.

A common mistake is adding gram flour directly to hot gravy. This can cause the flour to form lumps and not dissolve properly. Therefore, mix the flour thoroughly with a little water to form a thin batter. Furthermore, it's important to cook the flour for a while after adding it to the gravy. This reduces the raw taste and improves the texture of the gravy.

These things can also help to enhance the taste.

If the curry doesn't contain tomatoes, simply thickening the gravy isn't enough. You can use a little dry mango powder, lemon juice, or tamarind to counteract the slight tanginess of tomatoes. However, keep these ingredients in small quantities and add them gradually, depending on taste. If yogurt is available at home, it can also be used. Whisk the yogurt thoroughly, add it to the gravy, and simmer over low heat. This gives the curry a creamy texture.

In which vegetables can it be used?

The gram flour method can be used in a variety of dry and gravy dishes. Small amounts of gram flour can be used in dishes like potatoes, peas, mixed vegetables, paneer, and some gravy dishes. However, not every dish requires gram flour, so use it according to the recipe's taste.