Tomato - Red Bell Pepper Thokku

Category: Thokku / Preserves
Preparation Time: 5 mins    
Cooking Time: 30-45 mins   
Servings: yields around 2 cups

Tomato-Capsicum Thokku

 Ingredients:

• Ripe Tomatoes - 6 nos
  
• Red Bell Pepper / Capsicum - 1 big sized
• Red Chillies - 3-7 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Tamarind - a marble sized
• Sesame Oil - 3-4 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - few
• Asafoetida - a generous pinch
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Jaggery - small piece

To Roast & Grind:

• Fenugreek seeds / Vendhayam - 1/2 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and chop the tomatoes and bell pepper into small pieces for easy grinding
   
2. In a blender add the chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, red chillies and tamarind
   
3. Grind them to a fine puree without adding any water
   
4. Heat oil in a wide pan and once it becomes hot add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle
   
5. Then add the Curry leaves; reduce the flame to low and add Asafoetida
   
6. Now add the ground puree and mix well
   
7. Add turmeric powder and salt and allow to cook in low to medium flame for around 15-20 mins until it reduces in volume and oil gets separated
   
   
   
   
8. Meanwhile, dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind them into a powder
   
9. Once the thokku reduces in volume, add the fenugreek powder and allow to cimmer for another few mins till it reaches thokku consistency
   
10. Once its done, check for salt and add jaggery piece and switch it off
    
11. Allow it to cool down and then transfer to a clean glass bottle
    
12. Store it in Refrigerator; If handled properly we can store it for even a month
13. We can have it with Idly, dosa, chapathi, uthappam. Also we can mix it with rice for instant tomato rice