CherryTomato Pickle / Tomato Thokku

Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena

PrepTime:10 mins   CookTime:30 mins   Cuisine:Indian

Cherry tomato pickle / tomato thokku, whenever I prepare tomato pickle I definitely remember my Akka (elder sister) who was super fond of this pickle, whenever my Mother used to make during our childhood days.

She loves this pickle to such an extent that, she used to leave all other dishes aside and prefer to eat it. Exceptionally, the day when its freshly made. 🙂 

I generally make tomato pickle with the normal tomatoes. But, this time I had to try this pickle with these tiny little cherry tomatoes. One sunday, my husband brought a kilo of these little red ones. I felt, I can’t use so many for salads or in kids lunches nor can I store for long. So I thought, why not, try making pickle that can be stored for couple of months. 

The next day (monday) when he was back home from office, he was surprised to see these cute jars of tomato pickle. He would definitely be…since I served this spicy pickle with hot rice, and a spoonful of homemade ghee, just as shown in the pic below.

This is an instant pickle but on the other side can be stored in the refrigerator for couple of months. Yet shall stay fresh. 

Do try this and you will surely like this easy recipe, which can be served and consumed with rice,  roti, paratha, idli, dosa, etc!  I bet you will love it!!!

((Don’t be worried about this long recipe page, though the recipe and ingredients are quite simple, I have explained every little thing in detail, which makes this look long.))

Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned at the end.

Chutney recipes collection⇒  Chutney / Pachchadi / Dip

Other Pickle recipes⇒  Pickle / Ooragaya

Meal Platters collection⇒  Bhojanam / Thali / Meal Platter

Related Posts:

1. Tomato Dal / Lentil Stew / Tomato Pappu
2. Roasted Tomato Chutney / Tomato Pachchadi

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Ingredients:

• Cherry Tomatoes / any variety tomatoes – 1 kg
• Fenugreek/methi seeds – 2 tablespoons
• Red Chilly Powder – 10 to 12 teaspoons
• Salt – 5 tea spoons or as per your taste
• Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon
• Cooking Oil – 8 tablespoons
• Mustard seeds/Aavaalu – 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida/hing / inguva – ½ teaspoon
• Dry Red Chillies – 4
• Fresh Curry Leaves – 8 to 10 (optional)

Special Ingredients:

• Fenugreek seeds/Methi seeds/Menthulu
• Red Chilly Powder
• Asafoetida/hing

Step wise pics Procedure for CherryTomato pickle / tomato thokku:

PREP WORK:

• Firstly, 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.
  

  

• Put 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)
  

  

• Switch 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.

COOKING:

• Put 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.
  

  

• After 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.
• The 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.
• Tadka/ 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.
• Storage:
• Let the pickle to cool down completely.
• Transfer the pickle into clean & dry airtight containers and store it in refrigerator.
  

  

Tips:

• Any variety of tomatoes  (except for salad tomatoes) can be used for this recipe.
• Gingelly oil / Sesame Oil is the best for this pickle but you can even use vegetable oil or sunflower oil.
• After washing the tomatoes wipe clean them carefully such that there is no trace of water.
• Do not chop the tomatoes. They are very tiny, hence this avoids some work. 
• Adjust the salt and red chilly powder as per your taste.
• For tempering / tadka/ thalimpu you can use the same pan which you used for roasting the fenugreek/methi seeds.
• If you wish to, you could add garlic cloves in the tempering.
• Do not cut down the amount of oil, use 1-2 tablespoons more if you think it’s needed for the pickle.
• Even before transferring the pickle into storage jars, clean the jars twice with a kitchen towel so that they are completely dry.
• Small drop of water trace in the jar can spoil the pickles life.
• This, CherryTomato pickle / tomato thokku can be served immediately once its cooled down.
• Spoons used for serving the pickle should also be dry.
• Stays good up to 3-4 months when stored properly.

Result:

• Look at that red spicy pickle in the jar below, for the texture and colour of it at the end.
• Do try this and you will surely like this easy recipe,which can be served with rice, roti, paratha, idli, dosa,etc! 
• The taste of this, Cherrytomato pickle / tomato thokku, is hot and spicy ,if you have added the above amount of chilli powder and salt.

Hot Rice served with freshly made tomato pickle and spoonful of homemade ghee!!

South Indian Tomato Pickle / Tomato Thokku

VegCookBook by Praveena

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

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Accompaniment, Condiment, pickle

Cuisine Indian

Servings 375 gms

Equipment

• Sauce Pan / Vessel (for stove-top method)
• Blender/Grinder/Mixie.

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)
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 8 tablespoons Cooking Oil
• 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds / Aavaalu
• ½ teaspoon Asafoetida / hing / Inguva
• 4 count Dry Red Chillies
• 10-15 count Curry Leaves (optional)

Instructions

 

PREP WORK:

• Firstly, 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.
• Put 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)
• Switch 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.

COOKING:

• Put 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.
• After 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.
• The 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.
• Tadka/ 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.
• Storage: Let the pickle to cool down completely.

  Transfer the pickle into airtight containers using clean & dry spoons, and store it in refrigerator.Done!

Video

Notes

Please see the MAIN POST for step wise pics & recipe TIPS!

Keyword homeade tomato pickle, south indian style pickle with fresh tomatoes, storage friendly tomato pickle recipe, tomato nilva pachadi

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