Spicy Tomato Pickle / Spicy Thakkali Thokku

Everybody likes Pickle verymuch and I am not exceptional. Here I am sharing you a quick, easy and tasty method of preparing Tomato pickle which can be used as multipurpose pickle. In our home everybody likes this pickle. Whenever tomato season starts the first thing we do is preparing this tomato pickle. This pickle can be carried on short journeys as a side dish for Chappathi's or Dosa's.

Ingredients:

• Apple or Sweet Tomatoes - 3/4 kg
• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 3 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Hing / Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves
• Salt as per ur taste

Important Point to be Noted:

Select Apple or Sweet Tomatoes ie the tomatoes should not be sour. Do not select country tomatoes for this pickle. Select good quality tomatoes. It must be reddish in colour.  So that u will get a good taste.

Cooking Method:

Wash all the tomatoes thoroughly. Cut in to pieces and grind in a mixer grinder until u get a smooth puree.

Be ready with the spices. You have to add immediately one after other.

• Take a deep bottomed Kadai add mustard. Wait patiently till all the mustard gets spluttered. Switch off the stove(so that chilli powder will not get burnt).
• Now add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and curry leaves. 
• Switch on the flame add the tomato puree and stir well. Let it cook in  a medium flame till the oil floats on the upper layer. Stir Occasionally. It takes about half an hour to get cooked.

Click the Image and zoom you will get clear enlarged stepwise pictures

• Meanwhile in another pan add the required salt and fry for half a minute. So that the moisture in it leaves.
• Now the puree thickens and reduced in quantity. It attains the pickle stage.
• Its the right time to add the fried salt. 
• Leave for some more minutes. Let all the salt gets mixed nicely with the pickle. Check for salt and finally add the fenugreek powder and Hing to the pickle and switch off the Stove. It looks yummy and bright red in colour. 

This spicy and tangy Tomato pickle goes well with Curd Rice, Chappathi, Roti, Dosa, Idly and with any Variety Rice.

Notes:

• This Tomato pickle can be kept in room temperature for only 5 days and in fridge for about 1 week upto 10 days depends on careful handling.
• Carefully handle with spoons.
• Take required quantity of pickle in a cup and immediately keep inside the fridge.
• Keep in an airtight container in fridge or while carrying.
• You may increase or decrease chilli powder quantity according to your requirement.