Thakkali Thokku | How to make Tomato Thokku | Side dish for Idli

Tomato thokku is one of my favorite thokku from my childhood days till now. After the preparation I used to take a spoon and lick it always and my Mom used to scold me for that. This can be eaten with any kind of main dishes like Dosa, Idli, chappathi or even with rice or curd rice. I have a post already with Thakkali Thokku with different preparation style. Try this and let me know your comments.

How to make Thakkali Thokku

Preparation time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Yields: 350gms

Recipe Category: Sidedish | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian

 

Ingredients 

Ripe tomatoes - 1 kg

Dry red chillies - 7 to 8 (adjust according to spiciness of chillies)

Mustard seeds - 1/5 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp

Chilli powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Gingelly Oil - 6 tbsp

Jaggery - 1.5 tbsp

Curry leaves - 2 springs

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Method

1. Take the tomatoes and wash them.

2. Cut then into small pieces as shown below. 

3. Fry the chilli till light brown or until they become crispy. ( When you try to break the chilli, it should break the chilli, it should break easily ). Keep it aside. 

4. Fry the fenugreek seeds till light brown.  If you smash it with a spoon it should break immediately.

5. Using a food processor powder the red chillies and fenugreek seeds. Keep it aside. 

6. In a pan or kadai, add the oil. When it is hit, add the mustard. When the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves together with asafoetida. 

7. Add the chopped tomatoes. Start cooking them without adding any water. 

8. When they are half cooked, add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. 

9. When the tomatoes are cooked nicely, add the powder which we made. Add 1 tsp first and after 5 min, check for the taste. If it is not bitter, add some more. 

10. Add the jaggery at this stage. This step is optional but thokku will taste great when you add jaggery.

11. Keep on sauting the tomatoes, till oil oozes out. 

12. Switch off the stove and transfer the content to an air tight container. 

Notes:

1. Adding jaggery increases the taste and if suppose your thokku is but spicy or bitter, it equalizes it.

2. Jaggery can be relaxed by sugar.

3. I sometimes dry fry 1/4 tsp mustard seeds and grind along with chili and fenugreek mixture. You can try, if you want. 

4. If your tomatoes are not tangy enough, you can add tamarind pulp as per the taste. 

5. Always use dry spoon to take the thokku. 

6. This can be kept for a month in fridge, if properly stored. 

7. Try to use gingelly oil ( nallennai), for better taste. 

Tags: Thakkali thokku, Thakkali oorugai, Tomato thokku, Thakali thokku, how to make Tomato thokku, how to make Thakkali thokku, side dish for idli

Puthina Thuvayal / Pudhina Thogayal / Mint Chutney

Ingredients

• Mint leaves/Pudhina - 1 bunch
• Red chillies/Green chillies - 2
• Mustard seeds - a pinch
• Urud dhall / Ulutham paruppu - 2 to 3 tsp
• Tamarind - a lemon size
• Salt - a needed
• Turmeric powder -  pinch
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method

• In a kadai, add oil, urud dhall, chillies and saute well. 
• Now add in the mint leaves and tamarind and saute well, till the leaves shrunk well.
• Add in the salt and turmeric powder.
• Then replace all the contents to the mixie and grind to a semi-coarse paste.
• It can be saved in air tight container for 4 to 5 days.
• Can be mixed with rice and ghee, it tastes well.

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Tomato thokku (thakkali thokku)

Ingredients

• Tomato - 8 (Chopped)
• Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
• Mustard seeds - 1 pinch
• Cumin seeds - 1 pinch
• Black gram - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 10 to 15
• Green chillies - 5 
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1 pinch
• Salt - as needed
• Oil - 5 tsp
• Cilantro for garnishing

Method

• In kadai, add 1 tsp oil, Mustard seeds, cumin seeds a nd when they start to splutter add the black gram, onion, green chillies, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and saute well.
• Add salt, tomato and again saute well.
• When the tomato becomes soft, add the above mentioned powders and rest of the oil and saute until the oil separates out.
• Now add the asafoetida and again cook well till the gravy becomes thick and dark reddish in color.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
• Goes very well with the Idli's, Dosa's, Chappathi, rice.

Note: You can keep this thokku for 3 to 4 days when you store it in a airtight container and kept in fridge. Do not use wet spoon.