Tomato Pickle Recipe / Thakkali Oorugai (Tamilnadu Style)
Tomato Pickle Recipe / Thakkali Oorugai is our family favourite dish. My mom makes it often and refrigerate it in a big jar. Every household has its own pickle recipe and this is my mom’s signature recipe and my dad is a huge fan for this pickle. For every meal, he have it without fail as side dish for tiffin items or with rice. This thakkali orrugai has got sweet, tangy and spicy note and are spiced with mustard, fenugreek, asafoetida, garlic and red chilly. It has no preservatives or colouring agents as it is homemade so good for health.
It can be served with idli, dosa, pongal, rice, roti, poori and paniyaram. You can even spread it in sandwiches and take it out for picnic .
This tomato pickle was made in my mom’s kitchen, I just clicked it for blog sake. I love to eat it with hot steamed white rice with some ghee on top. Try it in your home, you will love it for sure.
Check other pickle recipes in my blog – Lemon Pickle, Mango Pickle, garlic pickle, Vadu mango pickle
How to make Tomato pickle recipe with step by step pictures
Preparation
Cooking Procedure
- 2 Kg of Tomatoes
- 1 Lemon Sized Tamarind
- Salt to taste
- To Dry Roast
- 1 Tsp of Mustard
- 1 Tsp of Fenugreek Seeds
- Few Asafoetida Pieces
- 30 Red Chilies
- To Fry Garlic
- 1 Cup of Gingelly Oil
- 1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
- 1 Tsp of Urad Dal
- Few Curry Leaves
- Garlic Cloves from 3 whole garlic, sliced
- Wash and chop the tomatoes into bigger pieces.
- Heat a pan and dry roast the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds until it changes color. Transfer it to a plate, let it cool it for few mins. Now grind it along with red chilies and tamarind. Keep it aside.
- Peel the skin of 3 whole garlic and keep it aside.
- Add all the tomatoes pieces and the tamarind together in a blender without adding water. Keep it aside.
- Transfer the tomato puree to a heavy bottomed pan or cooker, add salt to it and turn on the stove.
- Cover and cook the puree to avoid spilling. Stir it continously to avoid sticking to the bottom.
- After the pickle reduces to half of its volume, add ground powder and stir it continously.
- When the pickle turned into thick thokku like consistency, turn off the stove.
- Heat a kadai / pan, add gingelly oil, add mustard, urad dal, curry leaves and garlic, fry it for few mins.
- Now add the pickle to the oil, gently mix it and cook it for few more mins and turn off the stove.
- Yummy, mouth watering tomato pickle is ready to serve.
Thakali oorugai should be kept in any Air tight container and refrigerating it increases it’s self life. This can stay for 1 month. Make sure it is sealed good and always use dry spoon to take it out.
This pickle will splutter and splash while cooking making it a messy kitchen. Using a thick bottomed vessel or pan while making this pickle.