Name: Tomato Thokku Recipe (Thakkali Thokku)
Ingredients: 2 to 2.25 cups tomatoes – chopped, 300 grams or 3 to 4 medium-sized; 1 teaspoon tamarind (tightly packed) – seeds removed or swap with ¼ teaspoon tamarind paste; 3 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil) or use any neutral tasting oil; ½ teaspoon mustard seeds; ½ teaspoon urad dal (husked and split black gram); 1 teaspoon ginger – finely chopped or 1 inch ginger, chopped – optional; 1 dry red chilli – halved or broken and seeds removed; 10 to 12 curry leaves – chopped or whole; ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper; ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida (hing); salt as required; ¼ teaspoon fenugreek powder or 20 to 22 fenugreek seeds crushed to fine powder in mortar-pestle; 1 tablespoon sesame oil (gingelly oil) or any neutral oil – to be added later; 1 teaspoon jaggery or add as required, optional

Ingredients

For Tomato Puree

2 to 2.25 cups tomatoes – chopped, 300 grams or 3 to 4 medium-sized
1 teaspoon tamarind (tightly packed) – seeds removed or swap with ¼ teaspoon tamarind paste

Other Ingredients

3 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil) or use any neutral tasting oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon urad dal (husked and split black gram)
1 teaspoon ginger – finely chopped or 1 inch ginger, chopped – optional
1 dry red chilli – halved or broken and seeds removed
10 to 12 curry leaves – chopped or whole
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
salt as required
¼ teaspoon fenugreek powder or 20 to 22 fenugreek seeds crushed to fine powder in mortar-pestle
1 tablespoon sesame oil (gingelly oil) or any neutral oil – to be added later
1 teaspoon jaggery or add as required, optional

Steps

Blend the tomatoes with tamarind into a purée, without adding any water.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the mustard seeds and urad dal until they crackle and the dal is golden.
Put in the chopped ginger, curry leaves and red chillies. Fry for a few seconds, until the ginger loses its raw aroma and the chillies change color.
Keep all the frying on low heat to avoid burning the spices.
Mix in the turmeric, asafoetida and red chili powder thoroughly.
Mix the tomato-tamarind purée in thoroughly.
Salt the mixture to taste.
Cover with a lid and simmer over low to medium-low heat until the tomato purée stops spluttering.
Once the spluttering stops, take off the lid and cook uncovered over low to medium-low heat, stirring at intervals.
Across the covered and uncovered stages, cook for a total of 15 to 18 minutes or more over low to medium-low heat, until the mixture thickens, shows oil on top or at the sides, and looks glossy.
Add the fenugreek powder, sesame oil and jaggery at the end. Mix well and simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
After cooling, store in a small clean, dry, airtight glass jar, or use a small lidded bowl for serving. Always keep the tomato thokku refrigerated. For more days of storage, add 1 to 2 tablespoons extra oil.
The thokku keeps for about a week in the refrigerator. Always take it from the jar or bowl with a dry, clean spoon.