Andhra Tomato Pachadi made with tomatoes, red chilies, garlic, spices and curry leaves. Serve this as a side in your meal. Goes well with idli, dosa, pesarattu or even with pakoras and sandwiches.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 2 minutes
  • Cook time: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 7 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 dried red chilies ((adjust to taste or red chili flakes))
  • 2 cups tomatoes (chopped, (2 large or 4 medium))
  • ¾ tablespoon chana dal (or 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds)
  • ¾ tablespoon urad dal
  • ½ teaspoon salt ((adjust to taste))
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds ((jeera))
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 2 cloves garlic ((or ¼ teaspoon ginger))
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 dried red chili (small, broken)
  • 1 pinch cumin ((⅛ teaspoon)(optional))
  • 1 pinch mustard ((⅛ teaspoon))
  • 1 pinch urad dal ((¼ to ½ teaspoon) (optional, adds flavor))
  • 1 pinch hing
  • 1 pod garlic (crushed (optional))

Method

Preparation

  1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add red chilies, chana dal and urad dal. Roast them until they turn golden & aromatic. Red chilies should turn crisp. If using sesame seeds add them now and toast slightly.
  2. Then add cumin & roast just for few seconds. Remove them and set aside to cool.
  3. To the same pan, add tomatoes, garlic, salt and turmeric. Fry till the tomatoes turn completely soft and mushy. If needed cover and cook. Set aside to cool.

How to make Tomato Pachadi

  1. To a grinder add the roasted chilies, lentils and cumin. Powder them fine.
  2. Add tomatoes and grind. If you want a traditional pachadi consistency, pulse a few times, scraping the sides.
  3. Check the salt and spice now. if needed add more.

Tempering

  1. Add oil to the same pan and heat it. Add mustard cumin, red chili, curry leaves and hing. if you wish you can add a garlic pod too. when the curry leaves turn crisp. Turn off the stove. Add the pachadi to the pan and mix well.
  2. Serve tomato pachadi with rice, any Indian breakfasts or bread.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.