Ingredients :

• The Tomato — Choose it very ripe—dark red, giving slightly under the thumb, like a summer seasonal tomato. A greenhouse-grown winter tomato will give you something bland and watery. Out of season, drained whole canned tomatoes actually work quite well.
• The Garlic — Just one clove, not two. The idea is a discreet presence, not an aioli. Be sure to remove the central germ if it’s green—that’s what makes garlic indigestible and too pungent when raw.
• The Turmeric — Fresh is better: this little orange rhizome that looks like a miniature ginger gives a rounder, less powdery flavor. But powder works very well—half a teaspoon, no more, otherwise it turns chalky.
• Black Pepper — Don’t skip it. A pinch of freshly ground black pepper chemically changes the availability of turmeric in the body. In cooking, it just adds a welcome little kick that wakes everything up.