Tomato Kadayal - Thakkali Kadayal

 Every other day we struggle to find out a side dish for idly, dosa or roti and chappati. When I came across one such dish, I decided to give it a try ofcourse with improvisation.

Ingredients:

Tomato - 8 nos medium sized (I used the country variety as it will have the required sourness)

Shallots - 8 nos

Green Chilly - 2 nos

Red Chilly - 2 nos

Curry leaves - a few

Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped

Salt - 1 1/2 tsp

Hing - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Gingely oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Thuvar Dal - 2 cups (pressure cooked and mashed well) - Optional

Method:

Peel and chop the shallots into 2. Chop the tomatoes in a chopper or cut them into small cubes. 

In a pan heat the oil and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add the cumin seeds, hing, turmeric powder and saute a little. Slit the green chillies and add it to the oil along with red chillies. Add half of the curry leaves to the oil and saute it well. 

Add the shallots to the oil and mix it well. Keeping the flame in low and stirring it will turn it glossy. Add the chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup of water. Increase the flame and let the tomatoes cook. Mash it well with a masher and add salt and bring it to a boil. 

Add the remaining curry leaves and the coriander leaves. 

Serve it hot with idly, dosa or chappati.

To serve the same with rice, add the cooked and mashed dal.

Tomato rice for neivedhyams

When it comes to making neivedhyams and when you plan to make mixed rice varieties it is always to be made without Onions and garlic. Many people find it hard to have it without these two. But my mom makes tomato rice without onion and garlic always and I have grown up eating that. This recipe is my mom's favourite and so is mine. The taste of the juice of the tomato seeping inside the cooked rice is definitely something to be relished. It does not need any special rice variey like Basmathi or Jeeraga Samba. Can be made with the regular raw rice that is used daily

Ingredients:

Tomato - /12 kg or 8 nos

Green chilly - 2 nos

Curry leaves - 1/4 cup

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Mint leaves (optional) -  1/4 cup

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece1

Salt - 1 1/2 tbsp

Gingely oil - 4 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Dhaniya - 2 tbps

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Channa dal - 2 tbsp

Red Chilly - 6 nos

Rice - 1 /2 cups

Water - 2 cups

Method:

In a tadka pan add dhaniya, 1 tbsp of channa dal and urad dal and fry till it starts getting golden brown. Transfer it to a plate. Add the red chillies and fry it till it starts becoming aromatic. When it is cool dry it to a fine powder. 

Chop the tomatoes finely either using manual or electric chopper. Add the green chillies ginger, curry leaves, 1/2 cup coriander leaves and mint leaves along with the tomatoes and chop all. 

Pressuire cook the rice with a spoon of ghee and 1 1/2 cups of water for 2 whistles. Once cool spread it on the plate.

In a hard bottom pan add the ghee and gingely oil. Once hot add the mustard seeds, 1 tbsp of channa dal, hing, turmeric powder and mix well. Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of water and salt. Cover and cook in a slow flame till all the water is absorbed. Mix well. Add the powder and mix thoroughly. 

Add the cooked tomato to the cooked rice slowly and mix slowly. Use a fork or the back of the laddle to mix the rice so that it does not break. Add the remaining finely chopped coriander leaves. 

Adjust the salt as required. 

Serve hot with the vegetable of  your choice. But it tastes yummy even without any side dish. 

Thakkali Thokku

Making thakkali thokku have become quite a regular whenever it is available in abundance. On my recent visit to the super market, was surprised to see the rate of the tomato at Rs. 6 per kg. So I grabbed a few kilos to make thokku which is a favourite side dish of even my daughter who cant tolerate Tomatoes in rasam or sambar.

A bit time consuming but worth the time spent as it is consumed very fast.

Ingredients:
Tomato - 1 kg
Methi seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Sambar Powder - 2 tbsp (I prefer to use this as I need not add coriander powder, cumin seeds powder separately)
        or
Red Chilly Powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds Powder- 1/2 tbsp
Asafodeita - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Gingely Oil - 1/4 cup

Method:
Boil water in a shallow vessel and immerse tomatoes in it. Close it with a lid and remove from the flame. Let it cool and grind it through a juicer jar so that only the juice remains.

Heat oil in a shallow pan, add mustard seeds and when it splutters add methi seeds and fry a little. Add asafodeita and turmeric powder and mix well. Add the tomato juice and let it boil and reduce to half. Add salt and either sambar powder or red chilly powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and mix well and let it reduce even further. When it is thick and oil floats on top remove from flame. Let it cool and store it in air tight container. Makes a great side dish for idly, dosa, chappati, roti and even curd rice. 

Thakkali Thokku using green chillies

When it is Tomato season, I prefer to make Tomato Pickle which will last a bit longer. I also make Thakkali thokku using both sambar powder and also green chillies and ginger. This time for a change, I added kothamalli also while grinding, which enhanced the taste.

Ingredients:
Tomato - 1 Kg
Green Chillies - 2 nos
Ginger - 1/4 inch piece
Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Salt to taste
Gingely Oil - 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Hing - 1 tsp
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Immerse Tomato in hot water and cover it. Remove from flame and let it cool. Grind it using a juicer jar so that the seeds and skin will be drained and you will get only the extract. Grind the green chillies, ginger and washed and cleaned coriander leaves also using the same juicer jar. Mix everything together.

Heat oil in a hard bottom pan and add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the methi seeds and fry it a little add the asafodeita and the ground paste. Let it boil and reduce. When it is half add required salt and let it reduce even more and thicken. When the oil floats on top remove from flame and let it cool. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate it.

Can be used for about a week. This thokku can be added to hot rice and it will def taste like Tomato Rice without onions. If you want onions, saute onions add a few spoons of this thokku and mix well and add it to hot rice. 

Tomato Pickle

During tomato season it is always make use of it and make tomato pickles and store it.

Ingredients:
Tomato - 2 kgs
Red Chilly - 200 gms
Solid hing - 1 inch piece
Methi seeds - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Gingely oil - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Garlic pods - 24 pods

Method:
Cut the tomato into round slices and spread it in a plate or plastic sheet and dry it in sun for about a week till it becomes dry. Whenever needed soak a  few slices in hot water.

Fry methi seeds and red chillies and grind them to coarse powder. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and when it splitters add the tomato slices and garlic pods saute well without adding water. Add the turmeric powder, ground powder, salt and mix well. When the oil gets released out remove from flame.

Makes a good side dish for dosa or idly.

Tomato Pulav by Shripriya

Party menu recipe posted by Shripriya Ramakrishnan

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Tomato - 2 chopped fine.

Red onion - 1 big chopped fine.

Tomato puree - half cup

Coconut milk (thick) - half cup

Cloves 2

Poppy seeds - 1 teaspoon

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 5 cloves

Red chillies - 4

Oil, Curry leaves - few springs, Cumin seeds and bay leaf for seasoning.

Salt - as needed.

Method:

Soak cloves and poppy seeds in warm water for 30-40 minutes.

Grind the soaked items and ginger, garlic, and red chillies into a paste.

Fry the basmati rice in a tbspn of oil and keep it aside.

In a kadai, pour about 2-3 tbspn of oil, then add the items mentioned for seasoning. Once the cumin seeds splutter, add the chopped onion. Then add the ground paste. Fry until raw smell goes.

Then add the tomatoes and salt. Once all the water evaporates and it is a fine tomato-onion curry, add the fried basmati rice, mix it and turn off the stove.

Transfer into a pressure-cooking vessel or in the rice cooker, add the tomato puree and coconut milk and one cup of water. 2 Whistles enough in the pressure cooker.

This is the tomato pulav....or we can even call it as red pulav.

Easy Tomato Soup for one person

On a rainy day if one wants to have a cup of hot soup, this can be prepared in a jiffy and had.


Ingredients:
Tomato Puree - 2 tsp
Corn flour - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Ajinomotto - 1 pinch (optional)
Water - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - a few
Mint leaves - a few
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 2 tsp

Method:
Mix tomato puree in 1/2 cup of water. Heat another 1/2 cup of water and when it starts boiling reduce the flame and add corn flour and mix well ensure that no lumps are formed. Add salt and the tomato puree mixed water. Bring it to boil. Remove from flame, add pepper powder, finely chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves. Serve hot with butter on top.

Tomato Thayir Pachadi

Ingredients:
Tomato - 2 nos
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Green Chillies - 1 no.
Coriander leaves - a few
Curd - 1 cup
Salt to taste

Method:
Grind coconut, tomato, green chilly, coriander leaves to a fine paste.

Beat the curd a little along with salt. Add the ground paste to it and mix well. Makes a great side dish for Chappatis, Pulavs and even Rasam rice.

Can be made very easily on festival days.

Tomato Pudhina Chutney

Ingredients

1.Medium size tomatoes – 4
2.Mint leaves – Half bunch
3.Bengal gram dhall – 1 tsp
4.Split Urad dhall – 1 tsp
5.Red Chillies – 3
6.Salt to taste
7.Oil

Method

1.Clean the mint leaves
2.Add two tsp oil in a frying pan and sauté mustard,gram dhall,urad dhall and red chillies. Keep them aside.
3.Fry the mint leaves till it gets cooked. Keep them aside
4.Chop the tomatoes and fry them till they are cooked.
5.Grind the tomatoes, mint leaves and red chillies
6.Finally add the fried gram and urad dhall and grind them

Since we are adding the dhall at the end, it will give a crunchy taste.

Tomato Masala

Ingredients:
Tomato - 1/2 kg
Onion - 2 to 4 nos depending upon the size
Sambar Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf - 2 nos
Cloves - 2 nos
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Chat masala - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped

Method:
Make a puree of tomato. Chop onions finely. In a pan add oil and when hot add bay leaf, cloves and onions. Saute them for a while. Add the tomato puree, salt, turmeric powder, pepper powder, chilly powder and mix it well. Add 1/4 cup of water to it and let it boil. When it becomes a paste like consistency, remove from flame.

Add chaat masala and finely chopped coriander leaves.

Tomato Curry Karwari Style

Ingredients:

Tomato - 6 nos
Onion  - 2 small nos
Garlic pods - 8 nos
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 2 nos
Cloves - 2 nos
Cinnamon sticks - 1 no
Saunf - 1/2 tsp
Khus Khus - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1/4 cup

Method:
In a pan fry cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, saunf, cinnamon sticks, garlic one by one till they emit an aroma. Cut onions and tomatoes into fine pieces. Grind the spices along with red chilly powder and coriander powder.

Grind onion, tomato, garlic and coconut to a fine paste.

In a pan heat oil and add the tomato paste and fry till it becomes golden in colour. Add the masala powder to it and bring it to a boil. Serve hot with hot rice and ghee or idly or dosa. Goes well with aloo parotta or green poori too.

Home made Tomato Ketchup Recipe

Ingredients:
Tomato - 12 nos
Onions big - 2 nos
Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Pepper corns - 2 nos
Cardamom - 1 no
Cinnamon sticks - 1 inch piece 1 no
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp

Method:
Make puree of Tomato. Grind onion to a very fine paste. Tie up pepper corns, cumin seeds, cardamom and cinnamon stick in a muslin cloth and keep it ready.

In a hard bottm vessel or pan add tomato puree, onion paste, chilly powder and salt. Mix well and bring it to a boil. Put the muslin cloth in the pan and immerse it so that the essence of the ingredients get into the ketchup.

Add sugar and vinegar and bring it to a boil till it becomes thick in consistency. Let it cool and remove the bag from the ketchup. Store in airtight bottle. It can be used for about a month.

Makes a great side dish for Samosas, cutlets, Tikkas and even Chappatis and dosas.

How to make Tomato sauce at home

Not just kids, but even adults love to have Tomato Sauce as a side dish for starters, tikkas, samosas etc.


Ingredients:
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Tomato Puree - 2 cups
Bay leaves - 2 nos
Cinnamon - 3 nos 1 inches long
Cardamom - 2 nos
Red chilly Powder - 2 tsp

Method:
Heat ghee in a flat pan. Add cardamom, bay leaves and cinnamon. Saute them till they crackle and release a fine aroma. Pour in the tomato puree slowly so that it doesnot splatter. Reduce the flame . Remove the cardamom, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks from the sauce and let it cool completely.

Store the sauce in the airtight container. Can be stored for 2 weeks. Makes a good side dish for dosa, idly, chappati and even Pizza.

Brinjal in Tomato Gravy - Side dish recipe

Ingredients:
Brinjals - 1/4 kg
Onions - 2 nos
Tomatoes - 2 nos or Tomato puree - 1 1/2 cups
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Chop onions finely. Slit green chillies into half. Add green chopped onions, ginger garlic paste, green chilly, chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt and saute for a few mins. Add tomato puree and saute till the oil separates.

Cut the brinjals into big thin slices and add it to the pan. Add required salt and 1 cup of water and simmer the flame. Cook till the gravy thickens and the brinjals gets cooked. Remove from flame and add finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice. Goes well with chappati too.

How to make Tomato Jam at home

Ingredients:
Tomato - 2 kgs (firm and ripe)
Sugar - 5 cups
Lime juice - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon powder - 1 tbsp
Cloves - 4 nos

Method:
Make tomato puree out of the tomatoes. In a shallow pan add tomato puree, sugar, cinnamon powder, cloves and mix them together and bring it to boil. Reduce the flame when it boils and add the lime juice. Keep stirring till the jam thickens. Let it cool and store in air tight container.

Spicy Tomato Chutney - A travel recipe

Many prefer to take home made dishes while travelling. Tomato chutney is one such. Adding a bit more spiciness to it will enhance the taste and life of the chutney.

Ingredients:
Tomato - 6 nos
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 6 pods
Red Chillies - 8 nos
Shallots (Small Onions) - 6 nos
Salt - to tast
Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard - 1/2 spn
Hing - 2 pinches

Method:
Grind all the ingredients except oil and mustard seeds in a blender to a very fine paste. Add oil in a shallow bottom pan and when hot add mustard seeds. When the splutter add the ground paste and cook well till the oil floats on top.

Note: Keep stirring occassionally so that the paste doesnot settle at the bottom of the pan.

Recipe to make Jain Tomato Chutney

Ingredients: Red Tomatoes - 6 to 8 nos Red Chillies - 4 or 5 Asafodeita - 1/4 tsp Bengal Gram Dal - 2 tbsp Turmeric powder - 1 pinch Oil - 2 tsp Grated Coconut - 2 to 4 tbsp (optional) Salt Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dhal - 1 tsp Curry Leaves - few nos How to make it: Cut tomatoes into fine pieces. In a pan heat oil and fry the red chillies. Add bengal gram dhal and saute till it becomes golden brown in colour (the flame should be low). Add tomatoes, turmeric powder and asafodeita. Keep stirring the tomatoes till they become soft. Remove from flame and let it cool.  Grind it with coconut and salt.  Temper it with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves in a tbsp of oil. This goes well with Idly, Dosa, Oothappam, Idiyappam and chappati.

Gingerly Tomato - An energizing recipe

Every one wishes to have a healthy glowing skin. Tomatoes gives that glow to any kind of skin type. I am highly fond of this fresh juice recipe that whenever I feel a bit low of energy, I take it as we have all the below ingredients at home ever. Even if there is no lemon available one can have it without that and can feel a definite refreshing just in a few mins after taking it.

Ingredients
Tomatoes - 4
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Sugar - 1 Tbsp
Lemon Juice - From one medium sized lemon
Ice cubes - 2

Method
Grind tomatoes along with ginger and sugar. Blend well and add the lemon juice and ice cubes. It is the best drink to have to have in summer.

Check the health benefits of ginger

Best summer drink
Fights Cancer
Helps skin glow

Tomato Pongal

Kids like variety in their lunch box and this Pongal is something which will make even those kids who dont eat tomatoes to eat it.

Ingredients:
Rice (Raw) - 2 cups
Tomato (Banglore vareity) - 6 to 8 nos depending upon the size
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 4
Ginger - 1 inch
Clove - 1 no
Bay Leaf - 1 no
Onion - 4 medium sized
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Cashew Nuts - 12 nos

Method:
Pressure cook rice and moong dal with 4 cups of water for almost 5 whistles.

Cut tomato into thin slices. Slit the green chillies in the middle. Cut the onion into thin lengthy slices. In a pan add half of the ghee and add bay leaf and cloves and the add onions when the onion turns glassy add the green chillies and ginger. Add the tomatoes and salt and saute them well till the tomatoes get mashed well. Add the cooked rice and moong dal and mash well. Add curry leaves and coriander leaves (chopped finely).In the remaining ghee fry the cashew nuts till they become golden colour. Add it to the cooked Pongal.

Serve hot with Sambar

How to make Tomato Gravy - Basic Gravy Recipe

Almost all North Indian gravies use Tomato gravy as the base gravy. Once this is done adding other ingredients to it and making different kind of gravies or subjis is very easy.

Ingredients :

Tomatoes - 6 nos ripe

Onion - 2 nos

Garlic pods - 6 nos

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Green Chillies - 4 nos

Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Salt to taste

Cloves - 4 nos (optional)

Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Method :

In a flat bottom pan add oil and when it is hot add cloves, cardomom and cinnamon. Add finely chopped onions and chopped garlic and fry till it becomes golden brown. Chop the tomatoes and add to the oil. Slit the green chillies into half and add it to the tomatoes along with chilli powder and turmeric.

Heat oil and add cloves, cardomom and cinnamon. Keep the stove sim and let the gravy thicken. Add salt to it. When the gravy becomes deep red in colour and oil starts floating remove from flame.

Alternatively tomatoes can be pureed and added to the onions to make a thicker and even gravy.