Tomato Thokku/Tomato Pachidi

Tomato Thokku/Tomato Pachidi

Ingredients:
Big Ripe Tomatoes - 20 or 15
Tamarind juice - 1/4 cup ( thick )
Fenugreek Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Chilly Powder - 1/4 Cup
Asafoetida - 1/2 tbsp.
Sesame Oil ( Nalla Yennai) - 2 tbsp.
Olive Oil - 4 tbsp.
Salt - To Taste ( Use 5 tbsp ).
Sugar - 1 pinch for taste.
Mustard Seeds - 1tsp

Method

I was tempted to see big ripe tomatoes on sale yesterday in one of my favourite farmer's market. Wanted to try out my most favourite tomato thokku pachidi. First, wash the tomatoes nicely and wipe the skin with a tissue, making it dry. I followed the pot stove simmering method for doing this thokku. Cut all the tomatoes into small pieces. On the stove, add the oil. Add the mustard seeds first to oil and then add tomato pieces, asafoetida, all the powders, tomato extract and mix it properly. Cover the lid and let it cook in medium. After 10 minutes, open the lid and see of the tomatoes are totally cooked and it would come to a mashed pasty stuff with all the powders. Stir it again and continue the process until it gets to one third of its quantity. Trust me, if you do the procedure with little patience and interest, it will come out very tasty. After its done totally, let the thokku cools down completely. Then store it in a dry glass jar.

It will go with plain rice,as a good side dish for Idly, Dosas, chappathi.

Vendhaya Manga / Mendhiya Manga

Vendhaya Manga / Mendhiya Manga

Vendhaya Mangai / Mendhiya Mangai always reminds me of my father. Whenever my mom prepared a full fledged meal at our home, he never failed to make this small addition. Within few seconds, he would do some magic silently and a full cup of Vendhaya mangai would be ready. After having a wonderful meal at home, we always enjoyed our curd rice with his Vendhaya Mangai at the end. The recipe is also pretty simple.

Ingredients

Raw Mango - 1

Salt - To Taste

Red chili powder - 4 tsp

Vendhaya Powder / Methi Powder / Fenugreek Powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 4 tsp

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 3 tsp

Curry Leaves - 4 or 5

Sesame Oil / Nallennai - 2 tsp

Method

Wash the Mango and cut it into small pieces as shown in the picture. Add the powders, salt to the mangai and shake it. Meantime, in a small kadai, put some oil and do the tempering process. Pour them over the mango pieces and mix them well. Leave it for couple of minutes and then enjoy this tiny pieces of mango with creamy fresh curd rice. Absolutely heavenly.!!!

Tips

Instead of adding the red chili powder and methi powder, you can make a fresh powder using dry red chillies and fenugreek seeds ( methi seeds ) and use them. It smells good and enhances the taste.

Hot Peppers Pickle / Bajji Milagai Urgai

One of our good neighbours have given us lots of fresh, home grown, organic hot peppers. First time, I tried making Milagai Bajji and we all enjoyed the bajjis at home. But with the current load, I really wanted to consume the hot peppers in a different way, which can be preserved and be used for a longer period. Pickle would be the best option in this case. So, I made the Hot Peppers pickle which would be a delicious side pickle for rotis or rice. 

Ingredients

Hot Peppers - 6 or 7

Lime Juice - Juice of 1 lemon.

Gingelly oil or Olive oil - 3 tbsp

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Fenugreek Seeds / Vendhayam - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 2 tbsp

Salt - To Taste

Method

1. Wash the Hot Peppers, wipe them with a tissue and cut into small pieces and keep them ready.
2. Roast the fenugreek seeds for a minute and grind them along with Mustard Seeds and transfer the powder into a bowl.
3. Heat the Gingelly oil and when its heated, switch off the flame. Add Hing/asafoetida to the oil. Pour the oil on top of the grounded powder in the bowl.
4. Add the Hot Pepper pieces also into the bowl along with some salt and lemon juice.
5. Mix them well and store it in an airtight container. This pickle would be ready to eat after 24 hours.
6. This tangy and spicy pickle would be a good side kick for rotis and especially for curd rice.

Tips /Variations

Don't make this pickle with old, dried hot peppers.

You can add dry red chilli powder if you want the pickle more spicy.

HOW TO MAKE Tomato Pickle / Thakkali Urugai / Thakkali Oorgai

Tomato Pickle / Thakkali Urugai / Thakkali Oorgai

Pickles , Thokku, chutney or any variety made out of tomatoes will get over quicker in my home due to its tangy taste which accompanies very well with any food items. ( Rice or Rotis ). Its really difficult to have a good meal without our favourite tangy, spicy tomato pickle bottle on the dining table. I already posted my version of making Tomato Pachidi / Tomato Thokku earlier ( My first Post !!). But I made a pickle version this time mainly to give it to my dear friend. It came out very well with good flavour and taste but unfortunately this pickle could not be delivered to her this time. Next time, it would surely satisfy their tongue and make me happy. This version is mainly suited for long travels.

Ingredients
Red Ripe Tomatoes - Around 25 medium
Sesame Oil - 3 tbsp
Oil - 1/2 Cup
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash
Salt - To Taste
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Pickle Powder 
Dry Red Chillies - Around 15 ( Very Spicy Ones)
Fenugreek Seeds / Vendhayam - 2 tsp
Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp

Method

Wash the tomatoes and dry them on a tissue paper or a plate. Cut them into tiny pieces and keep it ready. Meantime, dry roast the fenugreek seeds and dry red chillies in a frying pan and grind them into a fine powder. In a big frying pan / kadai, add all the chopped tomatoes and allow them to cook by covering the pan with a lid.  After a while, you might notice a semi gravy of tomatoes floating in the pan. Open the lid and add turmeric powder, pickle powder, salt, hing and some oil and stir them nicely. Keep the lid open and allow the tomato paste to thicken slowly. Though this process might take some time, the final outcome is going to be yummy. After the paste thickens like above, finally add the sesame oil to the tomato pickle. Mix them well and switch off the flame when you see the oil oozing out of the pickle from its side. The pickle should be cooled completely before transferring into a dry storage container.

Tips

Keep the cut tomato pieces under the sun for few hours before making the pickle. This enhances the taste of the pickle and lasts longer.

Variations

Adjust the spice level according to your taste buds by reducing the dry red chillies in the pickle powder.