Tomato Thokku

My mom makes this thokku for us every time she comes to Singapore, and it lasts for a long time even after she has returned to India. So recently I started to make this tomato thokku for my hubby every time I go to India on long vacations.  This is a quick and easy to make, and goes well with almost everything like rice, chapathi, dosai, idly, etc. I have made this so many times now, that hubby claims my recipe is better than my mom’s J  The trick is to make it really spicy and add more oil ;) 

Tomato Thokku

Ingredients:

5 tomatoes - chopped finely.

1 teaspoon - red chilli powder,

2 teaspoon - sambar powder,

1 teaspoon - ginger garlic paste,

1/2 teaspoon - turmeric,

1 teaspoon- fenugreek powder,

2 teaspoon – salt (or as required)

Method:

• In a kadai, temper - mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida.
• Add the tomatoes along with the rest of the ingredients. Let the mixture boil for 5 minutes, keep stirring.
• Then reduce flame and let it cook until oil oozes out. Stir at constant intervals to avoid burning.
• Store in a dry container, after cooling completely.

NOTE: The thokku keeps well for 4 weeks if refrigerated. 

Karuveppilai Sadam / Curry Leaf Rice

Hello readers! After a break to India and a month of non-stop deadlines at work, I am back to blogging after a long hiatus. Every morning I am trying to decide on a quick and hassle free lunch menu which doesn’t require 500 vessels which would be later piled in the sink! Readymade rice mixes are great for quick lunches, but they are just not tasty enough in the long run. So I browsed my pinterest board for a this karuveppilai rice recipe from ticklingpalates.com. This is a quick lunch option when you have loads of fresh curry leaves in stock. 

Karuveppilai Sadam / Curry Leaf Rice:

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice – 2 cups

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Whole dry red chillies – 2

Cashew nuts – 2 to 3 tbsp

Oil / Ghee – 3 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Roasted peanuts/cashews - optional

To grind:

Curry leaf / Karuveppilai – 1 cup (tightly packed)

Urad Dal – 2 tbsp

Coriander seeds – 2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp

Black whole pepper – 1 tsp

Whole dry red chillies – 4 – 5

Tamarind – small ball

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

• Heat a pan with little oil, add the urad dal, coriander seeds, whole dry red chillies, pepper corn, fenugreek, tamarind  and roast till they all become golden in color taking care not to burn them.
• Add in the curry leaves to the pan and roast, tossing frequently. Remove from pan and let it cool.
• Add a little water and grind the roasted spices into a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a pan; add mustard seeds, turmeric powder,  cumin seeds, urad dal, whole red chillies, a few curry leaves and sauté for a minute. Now add the ground spice paste and sauté for a minute or two.
• Add the cooked rice, salt, roasted peanuts and mix gently.