Humans always try to indulge in as many delicacies as possible, right? We, as a community, love to experiment with new foods, indulge in new delicacies and experience new flavours. Then why don’t we indulge in new flavours that are interesting and beneficial? Yeah, today, let’s try out some delicious yet nutritious side dishes that will not only entice you but also keep you healthy. Have you heard about or even tasted tomato thokku? Well, let me help you then.
What is Tomato thokku?
First of all, let me introduce you to the dish tomato thokku. A thokku is a kind of South-Indian pickle generally made using grated vegetables. Pickling was one of the most common summertime activities. Indians widely preferred this method as a preservation technique. Thokku is made with a wide variety of vegetables, but unlike traditional pickles, which are made with bite-sized pieces of vegetables, a thokku is usually made with grated vegetables. So what about tomato thokku?
Tomato thokku is a tangy, spicy condiment made from a pickle with a long shelf life. This slightly coarse side dish was traditionally made with the help of a mortar and pestle. The major speciality of this dish is that it will go well along with snacks, your plain rice and even various breakfast varieties like idli, dosa etc. So, are you ready to experience this wonder? Then let’s prepare it.
Ingredients required
- Tomato: 10 large
- Coriander powder: ¼ cup
- Red chilli powder: ½ cup
- Jaggery powder: ½ cup
- Oil: 1 cup
- Mustard seeds: 1 tbsp.
- Cumin seeds: 1 tbsp.
- Dry red chillies: 5
- Asafoetida: 1 tsp.
- Curry leaves: one handful
Let’s start to make delicious Tomato thokku
- First, take the tomatoes and clean them properly. Now, make a small cross at one end of the tomato.
- Place the tomatoes into a pot full of boiling water and boil it until the skin becomes wrinkly.
- Then remove the tomatoes from the water and place them in a tub of cold water.
- Once the tomatoes get cold enough to touch, peel the skin of the tomatoes and blend them until smooth in a blender. Your tomato puree is ready.
- Place a Kadai on medium heat and add ½ cup of oil. Pour the tomato puree into the Kadai and wait until it comes to a boil.
- Please put it on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
- Once thick enough, ass red chilli powder, coriander powder, jaggery and salt into the mixture and incorporate them well. Now, please remove it from the heat.
- Place another pan and add the rest of the oil into it.
- Once hot enough, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, and curry leaves into it and wait for them to splutter.
- Now pour this oil on top of our mixture and incorporate them well.
- Finally, allow the mixture to cool down. Then transfer it into a clean jar and store it in the fridge.
Yes, that’s it. Your delicious tomato thokku is ready to entertain your taste buds. You can add this to any dish, and this will single-handedly make it ten times better. Now, let me explain how it is nutritious and healthy for you. Have you heard about lycopene? Well, let’s start from the very beginning.
The health benefits of Tomato in Tomato thokku
- The lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin in tomatoes will help prevent lung diseases like emphysema.
- Tomatoes can reduce your risk of stroke.
- It will help in the fight against oral diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis.
- The lycopene in tomatoes will strengthen your immune system.
- Zeaxanthin in tomatoes will significantly improve the health of your eyes.
- Lycopene in tomatoes reduces the level of LDL and blood pressure, thereby lowering your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Finally, the lycopene in tomatoes will act like sunscreen. As a result, it will help immensely improve your skin’s health. Well, do you know that Nutriplus SkinHealth can care for your skin much better than tomatoes? Are you wondering how? Let me explain.
Nutriplus SkinHealth
Nutriplus SkinHealth had the goodness of tomatoes, lycopene in it. But, this product not only contains lycopene in it. As a brand, we realised that lycopene alone cannot maintain the overall health of your skin. Hence, we added skin preserving elements like wheat germ oil and Vitamin E into it. This makes Nutriplus SkinHealth capable of single handedly treating the dryness, scars and spots on your skin. Moreover it will also resist the damages caused by free radicals and skin inflammation.
To Conclude
Trust me. You won’t repent on making either tomato thokku or Nutriplus SkinHealth as a part of your life. When one can enhance the flavor of your food and improve your health, the other can improve the quality of your skin. So, what are you waiting for? The smart choices you make now can positively influence your future and thereby your overall wellbeing. So thik wisely and make smart choices for a healthy tomorrow.
