PACHAI MILAGAI TOKKU
GREEN CHILLY PICKLE
Urugais and Tokkus (Pickles) are an integral part of a South Indian kitchen. Most of the pickles are prepared in large scale during the season with the seasonal ingredients and stored for the whole year. Pachai milagai or green chilly is a widely used every day ingredient in almost all homes and a tokku using the same can be prepared whenever desired.
We recently got to taste this delicious tokku at a dinner party at our cousin's home at Sydney. My daughter fell head over heels in love with this spicy tokku and we not only brought back some tokku, but also jotted down the recipe from our cousin's mother who had prepared the same.
My daughter has prepared this tokku giving it a few of her own touches and we are happily relishing it with ever meal.
INGREDIENTS
Green chillies - 250 gms (We have used a long green chilli variety that we found in Sydney. It is not as hot as the typical Indian chillies, but nevertheless packs in quite a punch !)
Corriander leaves - 2 or 3 stalks
Tamarind - one small ball the size of a lime
Salt - 2 tbsps
Til (Sesame) oil - 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Powdered jaggery - 1 level tsp
METHOD
1. Clean the coriander and green chillies.
2. Soak tamarind till soft in little water.
3. Grind green chillies, coriander leaves, tamarind, salt and jaggery into a smooth paste.
4. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds.
5. When mustard splutters, add asafoetida and turmeric powder. (Reduce the flame if required, so that the turmeric does not burn.)
6. Now add the ground chilly paste and stir.
7. Keep stirring until all the moisture evaporates, and the oil separates out of the tokku. It took us about 25 minutes for all the moisture to evaporate and the oil to come out.
8. Cool and store in a clean dry jar.
GREEN CHILLY PICKLE
Urugais and Tokkus (Pickles) are an integral part of a South Indian kitchen. Most of the pickles are prepared in large scale during the season with the seasonal ingredients and stored for the whole year. Pachai milagai or green chilly is a widely used every day ingredient in almost all homes and a tokku using the same can be prepared whenever desired.
We recently got to taste this delicious tokku at a dinner party at our cousin's home at Sydney. My daughter fell head over heels in love with this spicy tokku and we not only brought back some tokku, but also jotted down the recipe from our cousin's mother who had prepared the same.
My daughter has prepared this tokku giving it a few of her own touches and we are happily relishing it with ever meal.
INGREDIENTS
Green chillies - 250 gms (We have used a long green chilli variety that we found in Sydney. It is not as hot as the typical Indian chillies, but nevertheless packs in quite a punch !)
Corriander leaves - 2 or 3 stalks
Tamarind - one small ball the size of a lime
Salt - 2 tbsps
Til (Sesame) oil - 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Powdered jaggery - 1 level tsp
METHOD1. Clean the coriander and green chillies.
2. Soak tamarind till soft in little water.
3. Grind green chillies, coriander leaves, tamarind, salt and jaggery into a smooth paste.
4. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds.
5. When mustard splutters, add asafoetida and turmeric powder. (Reduce the flame if required, so that the turmeric does not burn.)
6. Now add the ground chilly paste and stir.
7. Keep stirring until all the moisture evaporates, and the oil separates out of the tokku. It took us about 25 minutes for all the moisture to evaporate and the oil to come out.
8. Cool and store in a clean dry jar.
If well prepared and stored without any traces of moisture, this tokku can last for a long time like any other pickle. Remember to use a dry spoon.
The tokku prepared with only green chillies can turn out to be very hot. You can add as much corriander leaves as you want to subdue the sting of the chilly.
Relish the pachai milagai tokku with plain steamed rice, curd rice, idlis, dosas, chapatis etc. It also makes a tasty bread spread. Mix a little with curd or sour cream for a very tasty dip. We even spooned in some into pastas, soups and other western dishes.
Relish the pachai milagai tokku with plain steamed rice, curd rice, idlis, dosas, chapatis etc. It also makes a tasty bread spread. Mix a little with curd or sour cream for a very tasty dip. We even spooned in some into pastas, soups and other western dishes. 
