A classic Nepali tomato achaar. Simple, rustic, goes with dal bhat, rice, or anything.
This is a living recipe — update it as you go.
- 3 large tomatoes
- 1 bulb garlic (lasoon), whole
- ~10 timur (Nepali pepper) seeds
- Handful of peanuts and/or sesame seeds
- 1-2 fresh green chilies (adjust to tolerance)
- 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
- Oil
- Salt to taste
1. Cook the tomatoes
- Heat oil in a pan, add jeera and let it splutter
- Add tomatoes (quartered or halved)
- Add salt — helps them break down faster
- Cook on medium heat until completely mushy and paste-like
- Set aside to cool
2. Roast the garlic
- Take a whole bulb of lasoon (skin on)
- Dry roast in a pan on low-medium heat, turning occasionally
- Roast until soft inside and slightly charred outside
- Peel after cooling
3. Dry roast peanuts/sesame
- Dry fry peanuts and/or sesame seeds in a pan (no oil)
- Keep moving them — they burn fast
- Grind once cooled (mortar or blender, doesn't matter)
4. Grind timur
- Dry grind ~10 timur seeds
- Make sure you're using real Nepali timur (dark brown, citrusy) — not the red Chinese Sichuan pepper
5. Blend it all together
- Combine: cooked tomatoes, roasted garlic (peeled), ground peanuts/sesame, timur, fresh chilies
- Blend in a mortar (silauto) for chunky texture, or blender for smooth — your call
- Taste and adjust salt/chili
- Mortar (silauto) gives better texture and flavor — the pounding releases oils differently than blending
- The achaar tastes better after sitting for 10-15 minutes
- Timur is the soul of this — use real Nepali timur, not Chinese Sichuan pepper
- Momo ko Achaar — the sesame-heavy, smoky version made specifically for momo
- Add fresh cilantro (dhaniya) at the end
- Some people add a squeeze of lemon
- Roasted dried red chilies instead of fresh for a smokier heat