Kongu Nadu Thakkali Kuzhambu / Kongu Cuisine Tomato curry for Rice (without coconut)

Category: Kongu Cuisine / Kuzhambu   
Preparation Time: 5 mins    
Cooking Time: 20 mins    
Servings: 4 servings

Kongu Nadu Thakkali Kuzhambu

Thakkali kuzhambu is one of the common dish in my region (Kongu region). There are lots of variations in Thakkalai kuzhambu and this one goes well with hot rice.

I got this recipe from my Amma & Athai and this is the way they make for rice. For tiffin items, it will be a different version and will post it soon.

Kongunadu cuisine is known for its simplicity and flavorful food. In Kongunadu cuisine, we use simple spices & masalas and most of the ingredients would be locally available. The most commonly used ingredients are small onions /  chinna vengayams (shallots), coconut, curry leaves, peanut / coconut / sesame oil, turmeric, Nattu sakkarai and also millets like Ragi & Kambu. Also we use less oil than other cuisines.

For this recipe, chinna vengayam (small onions / shallots) and naattu thakkali (country tomato / non-hybrid variety) are the best. If we use the hybrid variety tomato, we can add a bit of tamarind for sourness. Coconut is not used in this recipe and instead toor dal is used for thickening.

This goes well with rice along with a poriyal but we can also have this for tiffin items like Idli, dosai, paniyaram.

Ingredients:

To Saute & Grind:

• Peanut Oil / Coconut oil / Sesame oil - 1/2 Tbsp
• Small Onions - 3/4 cup or 1 big onion chopped
• Red chilly - 3-4 (Adjust as per spice level)
• Ripe Tomatoes - 4
• Coriander seeds - 1/2 Tbsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind - small piece (Optional)

Quick & Easy Tomato Rice

Category: Rice Varieties
Preparation Time: 5 mins 
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 mins
Servings: 2-3 servings

Quick & Easy Tomato Rice

This tomato rice recipe is very easy and quick and a perfect lunch box recipe. There is no grinding part or any addition of masala powders. But it tastes great :) Small onions are the best for this rice and if we are not having it, we can use red onion.

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup
• Ripe Tomatoes - 3 to 4 nos, sliced or chopped
• Small Onion -  1 cup or  1 red onion sliced (Small onion tastes the best)
• Garlic -  around 10 cloves, halved
• Oil -  1/2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds -  1/2 tsp
• Channa Dhal - 1 tbsp
• Split Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves -  few
• Green chillies, slitted -  2 to 4 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt -  to taste
• Coriander leaves - to garnish (Optional)

Tomato-Brinjal-Potato Curry (Thakkali Kathirikai Urulaikizhangu Kadaiyal)

Category:  Kuzhambu Varieties 

Preparation Time: 10 mins  

Cooking Time: 20-30 mins 

Servings: 3-4 servings

Tomato-Brinjal-Potato Curry

 Tomato-Brinjal-Potato Curry, usually called as "Thakkali Kathirikkai UrulaiKizhangu Kadainthathu" in our Home is a very tasty one with minimal ingredients. We love to have with Idly, Dosa and Paniyaram. This is my mom's recipe and I just added Curry powder as an extra ingredient. We can also add coconut milk at the end for more flavour.

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes, well ripen - 3 nos, finely chopped
• Brinjal - 2 nos, finely chopped
• Potato - 2 nos, peeled and finely chopped
• Small Onions - 10-12 nos or 1 Big onion, finely chopped
• Green chillies - 1-2 nos, halved (Adjust as per spice level) (Can be avoided if making for kids)
• Red chillies - 1 no, broken

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

Mint-Tomato Chutney

Category: Chutney
Preparation Time: 5 mins  
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Servings: 3-4 servings

Mint-Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

• Pudhina / Mint leaves - 1 cup, packed
• Small Onions - 8-10 nos / 1 Big Onion, chopped
• Ripe Tomato - 1 big sized or 2 small ones, chopped 
• Fresh coconut - 2-3 tbsp (Optional)
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Channa Dhal - 1 tbsp
• Urad Dhal - 1/2 tbsp
• Red Chillies - 2-3 nos (adjust per required spice level)
• Salt - to taste

For Tempering:

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Urad dhal, split - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Asafoetida - a generous pinch

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add Channa & Urad Dhals fry till they turn golden brown. Then add the red chilly, fry for 30 secs
   
2. Add chopped onions and fry for 1-2 mins
   
3. Add chopped tomato pieces and saute till it turns mushy
   
4. Switch off the stove and add the mint leaves and saute till it shrinks in volume
   
5. Add the coconut pieces if using and allow the mixture to cool
   
6. Grind to a fine chutney
   
7. In a small pan, heat coconut oil and once it becomes hot add the mustard seeds followed by urad dhal, curry leaves and asafoetida
8. Pour the tadka over the chutney
   
9. Serve with hot Idlies / Dosa

Onion-Tomato Chutney

Category: Breakfast / Tiffin
Preparation Time: 5 mins  
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Servings: 3-4 servings

Onion-Tomato Chutney

  Ingredients:

• Onion, chopped - 2 nos
• Tomato, chopped - 2 nos
• Garlic cloves - 4-5 nos
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste 
• Oil - 1 tsp 
• Channa Dhal - 1/2 tbsp
• Urad Dhal - 1/2 tbsp
• Red Chillies - 2-3 nos (adjust as per spiciness)
• Tamarind - a small piece

For Tempering: (Optional)

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dhal (Split) - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and fry Channa & Urad Dhals for a min till it becomes golden brown and add red chillies and tamarind, fry for 30 secs till it becomes cripsy; transfer to a plate and allow to cool
   
2. In the same pan, add chopped onions with a pinch of salt and garlic cloves, saute in medium high flame for 2-3 mins till they become soft; once its done, transfer to the plate 
   
3. Then in the pan, add the chopped tomatoes along with turmeric powder and salt, saute well for few mins till they gets cooked and turn mushy; once its done, transfer to the plate
   
4. Once everything gets cooled, grind to a smooth chutney like consistency
5. If you like to temper, add the tempering to the chutney 
   
6. Serve with hot Idlies / Dosa

Tomato Kurma

Category:  Kurma
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Servings: 3-4 servings

Tomato Kurma

Ingredients:

• Ripe Tomato - 4 nos, roughly chopped
• Onion - 1 no, finely chopped
• Oil - 1/2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Channa Dhal - 1 tsp
• Urad dhal, split - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing

For Grinding:

• Fresh Coconut - 1/2 cup, packed
• Pottukadalai / Fried gram dhal - 1 tbsp
• Ginger - a small piece
• Garlic - 2-3 cloves
• Green / Red chillies - 1-3 nos (adjust as per spice level)

• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch stick
• Cloves - 3 nos
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cashews - 5 nos (Optional)

Method:

1. In blender add all the ingredients mentioned under grinding and grind to a fine paste with enough water and keep it ready
   
   
   
   
2. Heat Oil in a pan, once it becomes hot add Mustard seeds, followed by Channa Dhal, Urad dhal, Curry leaves and fry till the dhals turn golden brown
   
3. Add finely chopped onions with a pinch of salt and saute till it turns golden brown
   
4. Add the roughly chopped tomatoes (If we dont want the kurma to be chunkier, we can finely chop them and add) and saute for few mins till they turn mushy
   
   
   
   
5. Add Coriander powder and turmeric powder and allow to cook in medium flame for 5-8 mins (No need to add any water)
   
   
   
   
6. Once the oil starts to separate, add the ground paste and mix well; Add required salt and around 1/2 cup of water.
   
7. Lower the flame and allow to cook for few more mins
   
8. Once its done, switch it off and garnish with coriander leaves
   
9. Serve hot with Idly / Dosa / Paniyaram
   

Tomato Curry (Kongu Special - Thakkali Vathakiyathu)

Category:  Kuzhambu Varieties / Lunch

Preparation Time: 10 mins  

Cooking Time: 30 mins 

Servings: 3-4 servings

Kongu Special - Thakkali Vathakiyathu!

Tomato Curry, usually called as "Thakkali Vathakiyathu" in our Kongu Region is a very tasty one with minimal ingredients. We love to have with hot rice, Idly, Dosa and Paniyaram and it also tastes yummy with curd rice:) 

This recipe doesnot involve any spice powders and Well ripe Tomatoes and small onions are the important ingredients for the authentic flavour and taste. Though it looks simple, it tastes great!!!! We can also add freshly grated coconut at the end for an additional flavour:)

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes, well ripen - 5-6 nos, finely chopped
• Small Onions - 10-20 nos, chopped
• Garlic - 10-12 cloves, finely chopped
• Green chillies - 2-3 nos, halved (adjust as per spice level)
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dhal, split - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1-2 sprigs
• Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Freshly grated coconut - 2 tbsp (Optional)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, once it becomes hot add the mustard seeds followed by Urad dhal and curry leaves, saute for 30 secs
   
2. Add green chillies and onions saute for 1 min
   
3. Now add the finely chopped garlic and saute for another 2 mins
   
4. Add the finely chopped tomato pieces and mix well
   
5. Add turmeric powder along with required salt and cook covered till the tomato pieces get cooked well (Dont add any water)
6. Once it gets cooked, saute for another few mins till all the juice from the tomato gets evaporated and it reaches a thick consistency, then switch it off
   
7. If adding coconut, we need to saute them little more till it becomes little dry and add coconut and switch it off
8. Serve hot with Plain rice, Idly, Dosa or Paniyaram or just with curd rice:)