South Indian Tomato Pickle / Easy Andhra Tomato Thokku / Homemade Tomato Thokku without Sun Dry

South Indian style Tomato Pickle / Adhra style Tomato thokku recipe. Stays good up to 2-3 months in refrigerator.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 kg Cherry Tomatoes ((or any variety tomatoes))
• 2 tablespoons Whole Fenugreek Seeds / Methi seeds / Menthulu
• 10 to 12 teaspoons Red Chilly Powder ((or as per your taste))
• 7 teaspoons Salt ((or as per your taste))
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 8 tablespoons Cooking Oil
• 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds / Aavaalu
• 1/2 teaspoon Asafoetida / hing / Inguva
• 4 count Dry Red Chillies
• 10-15 count Curry Leaves ((optional))

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- PREP WORK: ---
2. 2Firstly, wash the tomatoes with cold water and wipe clean them thoroughly using a kitchen towel.If you are using any other tomatoes, cut each into 8 pieces.
3. 3Put a small pan on stove top under low flame. Add the fenugreek seeds / methi seeds / menthulu.Dry roast them by stirring continuously, until you get a pleasant aroma. Do not burn the seeds. (takes 3-4 mins)
4. 4Switch the flame off, take them off the pan and let them cool down to room temperature.Grind them in a mixer or blender to make into fine powder.
5. 5--- COOKING: ---
6. 6Put a heavy bottomed pan or vessel, on stove top under medium flame & add 4 tablespoons of oil.Transfer all the tomatoes, turmeric powder and half of the quantity of salt.Give everything a gentle mix. Close the lid and let the tomatoes cook until they completely soften.
7. 7After 15 to 20 mins, check if the tomatoes if have completely softened. If so, add ground fenugreek seeds powder / methi powder, red chilly powder and the remaining salt.Give everything a thorough mix and continue them on stove top without lid.
8. 8The water formed because of steaming the tomatoes should completely drain out of the pan and the tomatoes.This might take 5 to 10 mins. If not continue until the water is evaporated. Switch the flame off.
9. 9Tadka/ tempering: Put a small pan on medium flame, add the remaining oil.When the oil heats up, add the mustard seeds let them dance in the oil. Add the dry chillies and inguva/hing/asafoetida.Transfer this tempering into the tomato pickle. Mix everything very carefully.
10. 10Storage: Let the pickle to cool down completely.Transfer the pickle into airtight containers using clean & dry spoons, and store it in refrigerator.Done!