Tomato Pickle(Thakkali Thokku)

I can never get enough of tomato dishes. But why, it is one of the super foods, which is low on calories,

fat, carb and apart from that a very good source of Lycopene. The super chemical of the town.

Lycopene is the chemical that makes tomatoes red. Among the studes, it showed

that the more tomatoes one ate, the lower the risk of cancer. Cooked tomatoes contain even more

lycopene because cooking breaks down cell walls, releasing and concentrating carotenoids. Eating tomatoes

with a small amount of fat enables lycopene to be better absorbed.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 30 Minutes

Serves – 10

Ingredients

Green Tomatoes – 8 to 10 Medium Sized ones

Tamarind – A small lemon sized ball(If your tomatoes are really sour just skip this one)

Red Chili powder – 3 Tsp (Increase or Decrease as per your preference)

Salt –3 Tsp (Increase or Decrease based on your taste)

Turmeric Powder – 1 Tsp

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Sesame Oil – 4 Tbsp

Mustard Seeds – 1 Tsp

Method

1) Wash and rinse the green tomatoes and Jalapeno Pepper.

2) In a wide mouthed pan add a Tbsp of oil, stir fry the chopped tomatoes on high heat for 5 minutes and

switch off. Once it is cooled enough go to step 3.

3) In a food processor, grind them into a coarse mixture and do not make a smoothie

or this will end up in the stove top for half a day.

4) Heat a wide mouthed and big pan and add 2 Tbsp of oil, once the oil is hot

add Mustard seeds.

5) Once the mustard seeds, stop spluttering add the Tomato paste

and then add turmeric powder, salt, tamarind pulp and Red Chili powder and simmer in the stove top

for 30 minutes, stirring in between.

6) After 30 minutes, the mixture would have turned into a thick mass and have started

leaving the sides, at this point add the rest of the oil, combine and leave on high heat for two

minutes and switch off the stove.

7) After this cools completely, store in a clean, dry, airtight bottle. This is good for at least

3 weeks if kept in a refrigerator.

8) Goes very well with Idli, Dosa, Spread and Dip. You can combine this with rice or quinoa and

make spicy, tasty tomato rice or tomato quinoa.

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