Name: Tomato thokku for rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 people
Ingredients: 2 tomato (large size); 2 onion (small size); 2 tbsp cooking oil; 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds; 1/2 tsp skinless black gram (/urad dal); 1/2 tsp red chili powder; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)

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Tomato thokku for rice or dosa is one for the popular everyday side dish recipe of South India. Which made with just a few ingredients including tomato, onion, chili powder. A simple, basic but tasty side dish perfect for rice, dosa, roti.

Tomato thokku for rice is one of the popular recipes. This is so versatile side dish matches for any main course, whether it can be rice, paratha, roti, idli, and dosa. This is one of my favorite recipes because it can be made faster with very few ingredients.

Generally ‘thokku’ made by cooking the vegetables only in the cooking oil. And can be stored for about a week time at room temperature. But I use to make them with lesser cooking oil and can be refrigerated for about 4-5 days.

How much cooking oil needed for this recipe? the amount of cooking oil which is needed for sauteing the onion.

What is the proportion of onion and tomatoes? There are tonnes of verities of tomatoes are available in the market. They vary also in their scale of sourness. Generally, the amount of onion and tomato has to be equal. But if the tomato is sour, increase the quantity of onion and vice versa.

In this recipe, I have used plum tomatoes, so I have increased the number of tomatoes by 20% from the regular recipe.

Want to look into other authentic South Indian Recipes:

Simple Rasam recipe
Mango Payasam
Quinoa Dosa

Simple tips to get Tomato Thokku for rice perfect:

Cook in medium to low flame to get perfect flavorful thokku.
Add few sprinkles of salt while cooking the onion. This process makes the onion to cook evenly.
Add few sprinkles of salt while cooking tomato as well, and this makes the tomato to cook quicker and mushy.
Once the tomato is 3/4th done, gently mash the tomato chunks. This gives a great texture to the tomato thokku.
For variations add green chilies and reduce the quantity of chili powder.
Add vegetables like green peas, small cubes potatoes if serving for roti, parathas.
At times I use leftover of tomato thokku as a spread for bread sandwiches.

How to make Tomato Thokku for rice and dosa:

Heat cooking oil in the pan. Add mustard seeds and urad dal. Allow mustard seeds to crackle.
Add chopped onion. And saute in medium to low flame until onion turns pink and translucent.

Once the onion cooked well, add chopped tomatoes. Cook it till tomatoes become mushy.
Hint: Add a pinch of salt to cook the tomatoes evenly. And also gently press the tomato chunks to make it mushy.
Once tomatoes cooked and blended well, add chili powder and saute for a minute.

Then add water and allow it to cook until it becomes thick or to desired consistency. Add chopped coriander leaves.
Serve tomato thokku hot with rice, dosa or roti.

The leftover can be refrigerated for about 4-5 days.