Tomato thokku (pickle)

Ingredients 

Tomatoes—1 kilogram ( 10 to 12 medium sized)

Salt to taste

Wash and pat dry tomatoes and chop them.

Ingredients for roasting ( masala)

Dry red chillies—12 to 15 Or ( 3 to 4 tablespoon of red chilli powder)

Menthya seeds (fenugreek//methi dana)—2 tablespoon 

Mustard seeds (sasive)—1 teaspoon 

Jeera (Jeerige// cumin seeds )—1 teaspoon 

Asafoetida (hing// ingu)—1 tablespoon 

Tamarind (hunase hannu)—lemon sized 

Method 

Dry roast menthya  kaalu,sasive,jeera,hing together in a pan on medium flame till sasive starts cracking and menthya turns to light brown and aromatic.

Take out of the flame and keep aside in a plate.

In the same pan roast red chillies,by adding a few drops of oil.

Roast till it becomes crisp,take out of pan.

In the same pan roast tamarind or just warm it.

 Transfer to the plate.

Let all spices cool.

Powder all roasted spices to a fine powder in a mixer grinder jar.

Keep it aside and ready.

Ingredients for seasoning (oggarane)

Oil—5 tablespoon 

Mustard seeds (sasive)—1 teaspoon 

Turmeric powder (arisina//haldi)—1 teaspoon 

Curry leaves (karibevu//kadipatta)—few

Method for making thokku 

 Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai or pan,once hot add sasive,arisina,karibevu and saute till sasive crackles on medium heat.

Add chopped tomatoes and saute .

After a while you will see tomatoes starts leaving water.

Cover the kadai with a lid and let it cook on medium flame,keep stirring in between.

Keep stirring and continue the process till water content evaporate and tomatoes becomes soft.

At this stage you can mash with a masher for a fine paste texture.

Now add in ground powder and salt mix well.

Lower the flame to sim,so that thokku doesn’t get burnt.

Once everything combines well .

Add 3 tablespoon of oil in the final stage and mix well..

Switch off the stove.

Now tasty tomato thokku (pickle) is ready.

Tastes good after 3 to 4 days.

Cool completely and store in sterilised bottles.

You can store in refrigerator for months.