Thakkali Thokku is a simple but extremely delicious preserve made with fresh ripe tomatoes and can be stored over extended period of time. Thokku refers to a vegetable that is pureed, chopped finely or grated, cooked to a thick consistency in oil. It is similar to a pickle, but not quite so as Indian pickles are not always cooked. Thokku on the otherhand is a preserve made with vegetables when they are in season, available in abundance. Mango Thokku, Onion Tomato Thokku, Muttai Thokku are some of the other popular thokku recipes. Thakkali Thokku can be served as a side dish for breakfast recipes as well as roti & rice too!
Key Ingredients
Ripe Tomatoes that are bright red and juicy are used to make colorful thakkali thokku recipe. It is best to use country tomatoes that do not have thick skin for best thokku consistency. Sesame Oil/Gingelly Oil is one of the key ingredients for making thokku and nothing comes closer to the flavor that the Nallennai imparts in tomato thokku recipe. Finely Chopped Garlic Cloves make the thokku super flavorful and I never skip adding garlic as cooking it with tomatoes makes the thokku such a flavorbomb! Tamarind Extract is used to extend the shelf-life of the thokku. Spice powders like Red Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder are used. Standard South Indian tempering ingredients like Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Dry Red Chillies, Asafoetida and Curry Leaves are a must. For full list of ingredients and exact measurements, check the recipe below.
Tips & Important Notes for Making Thakkali Thokku
Tomato Thokku is a beginner-friendly recipe that is simple and easy to make. It can be quickly made in bulk and stored for over a month. Be sure to follow the tips and notes below when trying this recipe. Choose ripe and red tomatoes that do not have a thick skin. Cherry tomatoes can also be used. Wash and wipe the tomatoes completely dry. There should be no extra moisture on tomatoes and that helps with the shelf-life. Using tamarind extract along with pureed tomatoes increases the shelf life of the thokku. Cooking the thokku in gingelly oil enhances the flavor and keeps the thokku fresh for a longer time. Use an airtight glass container for storing the thokku for extended shelf-life.
Substitutions & Variations
Apart from the regular tomatoes, cherry tomatoes can also be used to make tomato thokku. Tomatoes can also be finely chopped or blitzed coarsely instead of being pureed to make the thokku. If you like sweet spicy tangy flavored thokku, add 1 -2 teaspoon jaggery to the thokku. To cut down the cooking process, this thokku can be made in a pressure cooker too. After adding all the ingredients, cook on low/medium flame for 3 whistles and let the pressure drop naturally. The oil should be floating on top which means the thokku is cooked enough.
Storing & Serving Suggestions
Thakkali Thokku can be served as a side dish with any South Indian breakfast, rice or rotis. It stays good for over a couple of days even when not refrigerated. It is a great travel food, can be mixed with cooked rice, made into chapati rolls and is mostly fuss-free. For storing the thokku for extended period, keep it refrigerated in an airtight container, (preferably glass) once the thokku is at room temperature.
Similar Recipes
Thakkali Thokku Recipe with Step by Step Pictures
Wash and wipe clean 6-7 medium tomatoes, chop them roughly. Add them to a blender. Pulse a few times until the tomatoes are coarsely pureed without any large chunks. In a thick bottomed pan heat 2 tablespoon gingelly oil/sesame oil. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 dry red chilli cut into two and ¼ teaspoon asafoetida. Add 6-8 garlic cloves finely chopped and few fresh curry leaves. Cook for a minute. Next add the pureed tomatoes. Cook for 3-4 mins. Add 1 tablespoon thick tamarind extract and mix well. Now add 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt as needed. As it begins to bubble, cCook the thokku covered on low flame for 15-20 mins. When the thokku has oil floating on top and from sides, looks thick – remove from heat. Serve with any South Indian breakfast, rice or rotis. Let it cool down completely and store in glass airtight container in fridge for upto a month.
Recipe Notes
Tamarind extract is optional if you don’t want to store the thokku for more than a few days.Skip garlic if you don’t want like the flavor but it is highly recommended.
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