Tomato Thokku - side dish for Idli, Dosa and Rotis

This recipe is often served as a side dish for idli, dosa and chappathi. This is also called as thakkali thokku, tomato pickle and it is a famous delicacy from south indian cuisine. This is such a gloriously simple, easy to make recipe, need very few ingredients, a travel food, best part -can be prepared in bulk and stored in refrigerator. This can be kept for two days without refrigeration and more than two weeks under refrigeration. We all love this with dosa and I make this thakkali thokku more often. Whenever tomatoes are cheaper in the market, i used to buy lots of it and make this thokku and store in the refrigerator. It has got a very beautiful colour that makes everyone tempt to eat.

Ingredients

• 7 nos of Tomatoes, medium sized, well riped
• 1 tsp of Red Chilly powder
• less than 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds(optional)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp of Gingelly Oil

Method

• Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and keep.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan/kadai/ wok, when hot add fenugreek seeds and saute for 30 seconds.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes and salt together and mix well.
• Cover and cook the tomatoes in medium flame say about 5 to 8 minutes, between stir twice and add chilly powder to it. At this stage water is released from tomatoes, enough for them to cook.
• When  the mixture becomes soft and all the water evaporates, keep the flame to low and stir continuously till it becomes very thick and oil oozes out. This will take about 3 Min's.
• Serve it with idli, dosa, rice, rotis.

Cooking Time : 205 to 30 Min's
Serves 2

Note:  If you r using fully ripened tomatoes it will take less time to cook, otherwise it quite take more time to cook.