Tomato Thokku Recipe (Thakkali Thokku)

This South Indian type Tomato Thokku (or Thakkali Thokku) is tangy, spiced, umami relish made with contemporary tomatoes, tamarind, spices and herbs. This prompt recipe comes collectively in about 40 minutes and makes for a flavorful condiment to go together with your South Indian meals or breakfast like Idli, Dosa or Uttapam.

About Tomato Thokku

Tomato Thokku is a wide range of a pickle or relish from the South Indian delicacies. In Tamil language this condiment known as “Thakkali Thokku” coming after the Tamil phrase for tomatoes which is ‘Thakkali’.

There are could methods this Tomato Pickle is made. My recipe is an easy and but straightforward that options contemporary tangy tomatoes, tart tamarind, savory spices and herbs. It additionally doesn’t have any onion or garlic.

Usually thokku are made in massive portions, however I often make a small batch that retains properly for a couple of week. You can simply scale the recipe and make a batch that would final for a month.

Principally Indian meals are by no means full with no pickle or chutney relishes. Like most relishes this tomato thokku is finest served as a facet condiment with any South Indian meal.

I additionally serve with Khichdi or Pulao. You may also take pleasure in tomato thokku with idli, dosa and even simply plain bread or plain steamed rice.

Thakkali Thokku may be saved within the fridge for almost a couple of week. If you wish to serve for a very long time, simply add some extra oil within the recipe.

Step-by-Step Information

The right way to make Tomato Thokku

Preparation

1. Measure and prep all of the elements and maintain every little thing prepared earlier than you start to cook dinner the recipe.

Start by rinsing 300 grams or 3 to 4 medium-sized tomatoes a number of instances in water. Then chop them roughly. You will want about 2 to 2.25 cups chopped tomatoes.

Additionally put aside the spices, herbs that will probably be wanted to make the thokku recipe. Rinse curry leaves and totally dry them and put aside. Break or halve the dry crimson chillies and take away their seeds.

Add the chopped tomatoes and 1 teaspoon tightly packed tamarind or ¼ teaspoon tamarind paste to a blender or mixer-grinder.

Make sure that the tamarind doesn’t have any seeds.

2. Mix to a clean and nice tomato puree with none chunks. Don’t add any water whereas mixing tomatoes.

Sauté Spices and Tomato Puree

3. In a pan, warmth oil. Ideally use sesame oil produced from uncooked sesame seeds, additionally known as as gingelly oil. If out of sesame oil, add sunflower oil or any impartial tasting oil.

Preserve the warmth to a low. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon urad dal (husked and cut up black gram).

4. Fry until they sizzle, crackle and the urad dal turns golden. Preserve stirring usually.

5. Add 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger (non-obligatory), 10 to 12 curry leaves and 1 dry crimson chili (ideally damaged and seeds eliminated).

Combine and fry for a number of seconds till the uncooked aroma of ginger goes away, the crimson chillies change colour and the curry leaves look crisp.

All of the frying ought to be achieved on a low warmth, in order that the spices don’t get burnt.

6. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon crimson chili powder and ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida (hing) or about 2 to three pinches.

7. Combine properly on low warmth.

8. Then add the tomato-tamarind puree. Take care because the tomato puree will splutter.

9. Stir the combination very properly. Season with salt in line with style.

Make Thakkali Thokku

10. Cowl with lid and cook dinner the tomato puree on low to medium-low warmth. The thokku combination splutters so higher to cowl the pan with a lid and simmer till the combination stops spluttering.

11. Stir at intervals and verify the tomato puree combination. If it has stopped spluttering take away the lid and proceed to cook dinner with out lid.

12. Cook dinner on a low warmth to medium-low warmth for a complete of 15 to 18 minutes or extra (with and with out lid) till the consistency thickens and also you see oil on the highest or at sides.

The tomatoes can even get cooked by this time. Do stir at intervals.

13. Add ¼ teaspoon fenugreek powder (20 to 22 fenugreek seeds crushed to nice powder in mortar pestle), 1 teaspoon jaggery or add as required (non-obligatory) and 1 tablespoon sesame oil.

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons extra oil if planning to retailer the thokku for a very long time.

14. Combine properly and proceed to cook dinner tomato thokku for two to three minutes on a low warmth.

15. Let the tomato thokku cool at room temperature.

Storage

As soon as cooled, retailer tomato thokku in a small clear, dry, hermetic glass jar or a lidded non-reactive bowl – metal or glass or ceramic. Preserve within the fridge at all times. You possibly can select to sterilize the jar in the event you favor.

The Tomato Thokku produced from this recipe retains properly within the fridge for about a couple of week or extra.

You may make a big batch of the recipe. However I might recommend so as to add extra oil while you make a bigger batch in order that the Tomato Pickle or Tomato Thokku has an extended life. Retailer in a clear, dry, sterilized glass jar and refrigerate.

Whereas eradicating the relish, at all times use a clear dry spoon. Seal once more with the jar or bowl lid and refrigerate. Don’t maintain at room temperature.

Serving Ideas

Serve Tomato Thokku as a facet condiment relish with a South Indian major course. It additionally pairs properly idli, dosa, medu vada, uttapam. As you possibly can see within the images, I served it with Ragi Dosa.

This tangy tomato relish additionally tastes good when combined with steamed rice and eaten. Should you make a big batch, you should utilize it to make a fast model of Tomato Rice.

Merely combine cooled cooked rice with the tomato thokku and your prompt tomato rice is prepared. You possibly can fry some spices and herbs for tempering in the event you like when making this prompt tomato rice.

You may also take pleasure in this Tomato Thokku with Ven Pongal, Khichdi, Curd Rice, Chapati or toasted bread.

Skilled Suggestions

1. Tomatoes: Any number of tangy tomatoes work properly on this Tomato Thokku recipe. Be sure that the tomatoes are contemporary, ripe, crimson and have a beautiful tangy style to them.
2. Aromatics: My recipe is a satvik recipe made with out onions and garlic. Be at liberty to incorporate about ⅓ cup finely chopped onions and ½ teaspoon of finely chopped garlic within the recipe in the event you like.
3. Jaggery: The normal Indian sweetener Jaggery is used on this Tomato Thokku recipe to steadiness the bitter and tart style of each the tomatoes and tamarind. Should you don’t have jaggery, use palm sugar (or palm jaggery) or coconut sugar. I might not advocate including sugar as it’ll give a totally totally different style. Choose to skip jaggery in the event you favor.
4. Oil: Select so as to add extra oil in the event you plan to retailer the relish for an extended time. Oil helps in preserving it. Additionally, in the event you make a big batch, then do add extra oil. Sesame oil produced from uncooked sesame seeds also called Gingelly Oil in South India, is historically used to make thokku. Should you don’t have it, use sunflower oil or another impartial tasting oil.

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This Tomato Thokku recipe publish from the weblog archives first revealed in June 2010 has been republished and up to date on January 2023.