MOM'S TOMATO THOKKU

Hi buddies, thanks for all your good wishes. I felt very cheered up to see your heartfelt love through your comments. I have come out of the blues and doing pretty good now though I get tired very soon then and there while doing the routine chores. Hope I will be back to normal soon!!!

After seeing Sanghi’s fall in love with tomato event announcement, my brain had forced me to travel back in time and reveal those cherished moments once again, albeit with a sigh!!

During my childhood days, I was not a liker of tomatoes and I hate that yucky tangy taste tomatoes. Whenever, I get tomatoes accidentally served in sambar/rasam, I avoid the whole part. I can remember even a petty fight with mom for preparing tomato rice for lunch. I donno exactly what made me to hate tomatoes to that extent…

During my class V, there was an Anglo Indian boy who joined my school due to his father’s job transfer. My school is a normal English medium standard school and not a very posh one like convent or matriculation type. The lessons were taught and explained in my native language, though the medium of education is English. The new boy does not know my native language and he insisted teachers to explain everything in English. His pronunciation was also of very high, obviously it would have been as he is an Anglo Indian product. Until his addition to my class, I had always been the topper and he took my place in every class tests and examinations then. He has become a pet to the teachers too because of this. Whatever effort I put in, I could not beat that guy in any examination. After school time is over, me and my brother used to wait for my father to get picked up. Till then, I will be doing my home works and my brother will be playing in the ground. That new guy will also be waiting for his mom to get picked up and he insists me to teach the native language. He taught me the basics in English and I taught him Tamil…He used to narrate stories too sometimes. He always ends up telling stories on tomatoes like tomatoes were going here and there, fighting with this, became juicy..some blah blah blah…..He must be craze on tomatoes, I think now.. Slowly, I too got interested in eating tomatoes after hearing repeated nonsense stories from that guy daily…Finally, I have landed here today saying that “I fell in love with tomatoes there.”

I am craze of tomatoes now and without tomatoes, I can hardly manage the kitchen/menu once and I will go mad after that. Whenever I want something refreshing, I always take tomato juice served chill. See, how taste changes in life!!!!

Coming to the recipe, this tomato thokku is again my mom’s signature dish. I learnt this from my mother. Whenever I got to go there or she comes to see me, she will always prepare and bring this thokku for me. My little demon also likes this. I can easily feed him the idlys and dosas in no time if this is the side dish.

INGREDIENTS:

Tomatoes – 1 kg

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Hing – a small piece

Tumeric powder – 1 tsp

Red Chilly powder – 5-6 tsp (depending upon the spiciness level)

Asafoetida – a small piece

Fenugreek– 1 tsp

Oil – As required

Red color kesar powder – a pinch (optinal)

METHOD:

· Heat kadai and dry fry fenugreek until it turns brown and grind this to a fine powder. Keep it aside. You will get more flavor out of it when dry frying them.

· Cut tomatoes into small pieces and make it juicy with the help of processor/juicer.

· Heat kadai/pan with oil (liberally), add mustard seeds and asafoetida and when it splutters, add the turmeric powder and tomato juice. Add necessary salt. Keep stirring then and there until the consistency becomes thick. It takes at least 45 minutes to an hour for the juice to dry up.

· Add red chilly powder, fenugreek powder, and red color kesar powder (optional) when the oil starts to separates from the thokku.

· Keep stirring now until the oil starts to float. Remove from fire and store in an airtight container. This will stay good for 15 to 20 days if refrigerated.

Am dedicating this to my mom as she taught me this authentic recipe and to my Class V friend (I donno where he is now, Haha) who made me to taste tomatoes.