Re: Masala/Gravy
My ami grinds everything for kofta gravy, it gives a smooth gravy, if cooked for enough time. She always says that it has to look like honey when done. Khair, I cut onions in slightly bigger pieces, add some water and oil, let it simmer till they're totally soft. Add masala and fry for some time, and keep mashing the onions and garlic. I use fresh garlic so by the time, garlic is soft enough to be mashed in one go, onions are all done. Then add tomatoes and keep frying on medium heat till the oil separates.
Now add whatever you want to.
When you add water for shorba at the end, most ppl don't let it cook for enough time, which results in very yucky looking shorba, where everything has it's on life. If you added potatoes along with water in last stage, by the time you turn off the heat, potatoes should be done, that is how long you should let it simmer, ideally anyway.
Tomatoes have got nothing to do with uneven gravy. Cooking time and heat is important.