Tangy, fiery tomato thokku slow-cooked with mustard seeds, dried red chillies and sesame oil until jammy and thick — the all-purpose Tamil condiment that pairs with everything.
Ingredients
6 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
4 dried red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
1 sprig curry leaves
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp jaggery or sugar
Salt to taste
Method
About Tomato Thokku: Thokku is a thick, cooked Tamil chutney or pickle — much more intense than fresh chutney. Tomato thokku is made by slowly cooking ripe tomatoes with spices in sesame oil until all moisture evaporates and you are left with a concentrated, jammy, deeply flavoured paste. It keeps refrigerated for a week and is eaten with idli, dosa, rice, parotta or chapati.
Choose ripe tomatoes: Use the ripest tomatoes you can find — they have the most flavour and natural sweetness. Finely chop all 6 tomatoes. Do not remove the seeds or juice — everything goes in.
Heat the sesame oil: Heat 3 tbsp sesame oil in a wide heavy pan on medium heat. Sesame oil gives thokku its authentic flavour. Add mustard seeds and wait for them to pop completely — this takes 20-30 seconds. Add urad dal and fry until golden. Add dried red chillies broken in half, asafoetida and curry leaves.
Add tomatoes: Add all the chopped tomatoes to the pan. It will look like a lot but they will cook down dramatically. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric and salt. Increase heat to medium-high.
Cook down on high heat: Cook on medium-high heat for the first 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. The tomatoes will release a lot of moisture and start to break down. The mixture will be watery at this stage — this is normal.
Add spices: Add 2 tsp red chilli powder and 1 tsp coriander powder. Stir well. Continue cooking on medium heat.
Long slow reduction: Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, stirring every 4-5 minutes, until almost all the moisture has evaporated. The thokku will become very thick, deep red and start to leave the sides of the pan. At this stage keep a very close eye and stir frequently to prevent burning.
Add jaggery: Add 1 tsp grated jaggery or sugar. This balances the acidity and gives the thokku a subtle depth. Stir and cook 2 more minutes.
The oil separation test: Thokku is ready when the sesame oil starts to visibly separate and float around the edges of the mixture and it looks glossy. The mixture should be very thick and hold its shape when scooped with a spoon.
Cool and store: Cool completely before transferring to a clean dry jar. Refrigerate. Tomato thokku keeps for 7-10 days in the refrigerator. Serve with idli, dosa, parotta, chapati or mixed with plain rice and a tsp of ghee.