Tomatilo/Thakkali kai thokku

Tomatilo/Thakkali kai thokku

A bright, unique flavored Tomatilo thokku /Thakkali kai ( raw green tomatoes) thokku is a perfect combination of sour and spice. Tomatilo thokku ~ Ammas recipe for Thakkali kai thokku/Pachadi made from Thakkali kai/raw tomato, chilli powder, fenugreek and seasoning of spices, is a nice combination for Rice, chappati, idlis, dosas, upma or as a spicy spread for bread .

Pickle or Thokku is usually served in Tamil cuisine. Although they are not as famous as their Andhra counterparts, the preparation is almost similar. I grew up eating a variety of pickles/pachadis or thokku from my Andhra friends at school and any type of pachadis or thokku will entice me.

List of ingredients:

1. 4 cups chopped Tomatilo/Thakkali kai ( rinsed and wiped dry with a clean towel and coarsely chopped ).
2. ¼ cup Idhayam sesame oil/gingely oil.
3. ¼ teaspoon asafoetida/perungayam
4. ½ teaspoon of each mustard and fenugreek ( Dry roast and grind )
5. ½ cup chilli powder
6. 4 teaspoon salt

Procedure:

1. In a big, heavy bottom vessel, add and heat ¼ cup Idhayam sesame oil/gingely oil. Add the Tomatilo/Thakkali kai to hot oil. Also add the red chilli powder and salt . Mix and cover the pot. Cook on high heat, stirring in-between. Tomatilo/Thakkali kai will become soft and tend to splash. Simmer and cover.
2. Simmer and reduce the heat. Cover the pot partially and simmer until the Tomatilo/Thakkali kai becomes thick like jam/thokku. Adjust salt, add asafoetida/perungayam and mustard, fenugreek powders. Turn off the heat and let the pickle cool.
3. Fill completely cooled thokku/ pickle into a clean glass jar with a tight lid. It stays fresh for a month, and stores very well even without refrigeration.

Serve with rice, chappati, idlis, dosas, upma or bread .

Tips: Choose nice firm tomatilo/thakkali kai or raw green tomatoes for this pickle. tomatilos are very sour compared to the thakkali kai or raw green tomatoes. When using thakkali kai or raw green tomatoes, add 1/4 cup of tamarind extract for a tangy flavor.