Green Chilli Thokku

Pacha Milagai Thokku is a traditional Thokku prepared with green chilli. My Amma learnt this recipe from her grandmother. When my Amma visited us, hubby was asking her to prepare this. Having a sweet tooth I was bit hesitant to taste this, but I took very little quantity as a side dish for Curd rice, though it was extremely spicy, loved the spiciness. This hot spicy thokku is easy to prepare and can be kept for months when stored in airtight container and refrigerated

Ingredients:

Green chilli –  25

Tamarind – big gooseberry size

Salt – as per taste

Asafetida powder/hing – generous pinch

Jaggery – 1 tbsp

To temper:

Mustard – 1/4 tsp

Fenu Greek – 1/8 tsp

Sesame oil – 4 to 5 tablespoon

Method:

• Add 1 tsp oil and Saute the green chilli till the color changes. Grind it into a paste along with salt, tamrind and asofetida. Add 2 – 3 tbsp of water to grind into fine paste

• Add 2 tbsp of oil to pan, when the oil is hot add mustard seeds, Asofetida and fengreek. After they splutter add the ground green chilli paste, cook in moderate flame by stirring in between (add remaining oil little by little)

• When its 3/4 th cooked and starts becoming thick, add jaggery and continue cooking

• Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or till the color changes to dark blackish green; remove the mix when it leaves the sides of the pan or when it forms as a thick paste. Suits well with Curd Rice, Idli, Dosa etc.,

My Notes:

• Tamrind can be grinded along with green chilli paste
• Instead of grinding green chilli you can also finely chop them

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Thengai Podi

Thengai Podi is a great rice accompaniment during lazy days. Just like Tomato Thokku and Pulikaichal, this powder can be stored for more than a month, if stored in an airtight container and kept refrigerated. This quick podi stays good even in room temperature for 2 – 3 weeks. Whether its a side dish for  Bagala bath (Curd rice) or rice accompaniment with ghee/ coconut oil or side dish for south Indian Breakfast, Thengai Podi is a table winner.

Preparation time: 5 minutes | Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

Coconut – 1 cup

Urad Dal – 1/4 cup

Channa Dal – 1/3 cup

Red Chilli – 7 (Adjust according to your taste)

Salt – as needed

Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp

Method:

• In a pan dry roast urad dal, channa dal and red chilli  till they turn golden brown. Transfer it to a plate. Dry roast the coconut till it turns golden brown color. Switch off the flame and Keep it aside. Add required salt and pinch of asofedtida

• After everything comes to room temperature grind them into coarse powder. Cool it and store in dry airtight container, and always use a dry spoon

My Notes:

• Instead of fresh/Frozen coconut, dry coconut can also be used
• If you are using katti perungayam add it while sauting dal
• Roast dal and coconut well for the podi to stay fresh
• Instead of using both urad and Channa dal, this can also be done with either urad dal or channa dal alone

Pulikaichal (Puliyodharai)

Pulikaichal is a classic traditional recipe.  When mixed with rice, tangy variety rice is ready (Puliyodarai). It also goes well with dosa/ Idli tiffin variety, and acts as a yummy pickle to curd rice.  It is a great travel recipe too, also a festive recipe prepared during kannum pongal and aadi perukku. It stays good even for a month (when refrigerated) or upto a week (outside),  if stored in an air tight container and accessed with a clean dry spoon. This is one of the most favorite prasadam in temples. It’s good to have Thakkali Thokku/Pulikaichal in fridge, and during busy days these two pastes help a lot.

Pulikaichal (Puliyodharai)

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 30 mins

Recipe Category: Pickle/Side Dish and Entrée

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice – 2 cup

For the pulikaichal:

Tamarind – big lemon size

Powdered Jaggery – 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder – 1/8 tsp

Asafoetida – a generous pinch

Salt – as needed

Sesame oil – 3 tbsp

Roasted Peanuts – 1/4 cup (approximately) I generally add handful

To temper:

Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp

Channa Dal – 1 tbsp

Dried Red chillies – 2

Curry Leaves – few

Spice Powder:

Channa Dal – 1  tbsp

Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp

Dried Red Chillies – 4 (Adjust according to your spice)

Fenugreek Seeds(Venthyam) – 1/4 tsp

Method:

• Dry roast the ingredients under ‘Spice powder’. Allow them to cool and grind it to a fine powder without adding water, and keep aside

• Soak tamrind in luke warm water for 10 – 15 mins. Extract the juice and keep aside
• Add sesame oil in a pan, and when the oil is hot add the ingredients under ‘to temper’ and let them splutter. Add the tamarind extract and allow it to boil

• When the raw smell starts to go away, add the powder, peanuts, salt and jaggery. Mix well and continue cooking

• Keep stirring occasionally. When oil begins to seperate and the mixture becomes a thick paste (and raw smell goes off completely), switch off.

• Take the cooked rice spread it in a wide bowl, drizzle a tsp of sesame oil, add 1/2 cup of pulikaichal, and mix well without mushing up the rice.  Adjust the quantity of pulikaichal and add salt, if required. Allow it to rest atleast for 30 – 45 mins before you serve. Serve with Aviyal/Potato Chips/Appalam/Fry

My Notes:

• Always use a wide pan while cooking pulikaichal as they tends to spit spills outside
• Sesame oil make it stay good for longer days
• Generally for puliyodarai I use normal rice but basmati rice can also be used
• Rice tastes better sometime after it has been mixed
• Can add 1/2 tsp of sesame seed, 1 tbsp of urad Dal and 1/2 tsp of pepper powder while preparing spice powder. My friend’s mom coos with these ingredients, and it tastes good too. As both my mom and mother in law won’t add these spices, I haven’t added
• First day it tastes spicy but over a period of time it tastes less spicy
• Adding jaggery is optional but it gives a sweet tangy taste which we like
• I have used roasted peanuts so I added them at the end. If you are using unroasted add it after tempering

Thakkali Thokku (Tomato Pickle)

I still remember those days when my Amma goes out of town, she used to prepare tomato thokku and pulikaichal, and keep it in fridge. Even for a week it will be good to use. When we don’t have time for preparing side dish for dosa/Idli/upma, if we have some tomato thokku in fridge, no worries:-) Tomato thukku tastes great with dishes like Semiya Bagala bath or Bread Utthappam or Cracked wheat Idli or Panniyaram  etc. It tastes amazing with plain rice as well!

Thakkali Thokku

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 40 mins

Recipe Category: Pickle/Side Dish

Ingredients:

Ripe tomatoes – 10 – 12

Red chilli powder/Sambar powder/ –  2 tbsp (I used Red chilli powder)

Sesame oil – 4 tbsp (Increase oil if you are going to store for a week)

Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp

Fenugreek – 1/4 tsp

Jaggery/Brown Sugar/ White Sugar – 1/2 tsp (Optional)

Salt – as needed

Method:

• Put tomatoes in a blender and blend without adding water
• Add oil to a wide pan (while boiling, tomatoes tend to spit spill outside). When oil is hot, add mustard seeds and fenugreek and let it splutter. Add tomato puree and saute occassionally

• When tomato puree reduces to half, add red chilli powder and salt

 

• Cook till water evaporates completely and the tomatoes become thick

 

My Notes:

•  Tamarind puree can be added, if you want it a bit tangy
• Keep in airtight container and use a dry spoon, for the thukku to stay longer

Instant Mango Pickle

Like many people mango is one of my favorites. Be it raw mango or ripe mango, I love mangoes. Without much cooking, I like to eat raw mango with  some sprinkled chilli powder. This instant mango pickle steals the show among all raw mango recipes. Easy tasty!!!

Instant Mango Pickle:

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 5 mins

Recipe Category: Pickle

Ingredients:

Raw Mango – 1 chopped

Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds powder – a generous pinch

Salt – as needed

Sesame Oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida– a generous pinch

Method:

• Chop the raw mango and transfer into a mixing bowl. In a pan, heat oil and temper mustard seeds and switch off the flame. Transfer the mustard seeds into mixing bowl, leaving oil in the pan

• Add fenugreek seeds powder, red chilli powder, salt and asafoetida. Mix everything with the chopped mango

My Notes

Do not add red chili powder when the oil is hot.Either slow down or switch off the flame. I use electric stove so i switched off and added