Tomato Pickle / Thakkali Oorugai

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes big – 20 (roughly chopped)
• Sesame Oil – ½ cup
• Cooking oil – ½ cup
• Asafoetida – 1 tbsp
• Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp (dry roast & powder)
• Mustard seeds – 2 tbsp
• Dry red chili – 3 no’s
• Red chili powder – 3 tbsp (I used  extra-hot)
• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
• Brown sugar (or) jaggery powder – 3 tbsp
• Salt – 4 to 5 tbsp
• Lemon – 1 

Heat the big pan and add cooking oil and half of the sesame oil.

Add Mustards, allow them to splutter then add asafeotida , dried red chilies and tomatoes.

Let it cook in a medium temperature until the tomatoes gets tender.

At this stage add salt, turmeric and stir it. (Note that, we have to stir it in between for the whole process) 

When the pickle gets thick add rest of the sesame oil, brown sugar, red chili powder and give a nice stir.

(check the salt & spices according to your taste)

Let the gravy cook in a low flame until it dries up and the oil oozes out.

Now switch of the stove and let it cool down to room temperature.

Add the dry roast fenugreek powder, lemon juice and mix it well.

Store this in an air tight glass bottle or jar and place it in refrigerator.

Note:

Adding too much of fenugreek powder makes the pickle bitter taste.