Kongu Thakkali aati kaachina kuzhambu

Name: Kongu Thakkali aati kaachina kuzhambu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Tamilnadu
Ingredients: 2 tablespoon coconut oil; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 teaspoon coriander seeds; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 dried red chillies; 10 small onions (Indian shallots), chopped; 5 cloves garlic; 1 sprig curry leaves; 4-5 medium very ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon sambar powder; 1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut; 1 teaspoon coconut oil; 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds; 2 sprig curry leaves; 5 small onions (Indian shallots), thinly sliced

May 31, 2018 by Suguna Vinodh 28 Comments

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Thakkali aati kaachina kuzhambu is a popular side dish served with idli in the Kongunad region of Tamilnadu. The curry is made by roasting and grinding spices, tomatoes and coconut which is then simmered to form a thick sauce. தக்காளி ஆட்டி காச்சின குழம்பு.

“Thakkali aati kaachina kuzhambu” literally means tomatoes ground and simmered to a thick sauce. This tomato curry is an excellent side dish for idlis and is one of the main staples of everyday kongu cuisine. There are different versions of this curry in every home in this region. The spices are roasted in oil along with tomatoes and coconut and then ground to a fine paste. The ground paste is then simmered to form a luscious gravy that is so perfect for dunking the idlis. This curry will definitely appear at the breakfast table if you have guests for breakfast. This is one of my husbands favorite side dish for idli.
I have shared another variation of this tomato kuzhambu and the recipe is here.

Here is the video of how to make Thakkali aati kaachina kuzhambu at home

Click the link below to find the recipes on the site that uses the main ingredient as tomatoes.
Tomato recipes
Kongunadu recipes
Here are some of the equipment, utensils and gadgets that will be useful for making this recipe. Click the link to buy them online.
Triply Stainless Steel Frypan
Hard Anodised Deep-Fry Pan
Mixer Grinder 1000 Watt
Sambar Powder

Here is how to do Kongu Style Thakkali aati kaachina kuzhambu.
For this recipe, its traditional to use coconut oil or sesame oil (Indian Gingely oil). I like to use coconut oil for this curry at home. Heat oil in a pan and add in the spices – cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dried red chillies and black pepper. Use the black pepper sparingly else it will over power the curry. When the spices hit the hot oil, it will immediately become aromatic. Add in the chopped small onions, and garlic.

Add in the curry leaves. Saute the onions till its nicely caramelized and brown.

Add in the roughly chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder and sambar powder. Let the tomatoes cook for 5-6 minutes on a medium flame till the tomatoes are cooked and mushy.

Add in the fresh shredded coconut and saute for five minutes more. Switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool.

Grind the mixture with a cup of water to a smooth paste. Take your time to grind. It will take 2-3 minutes. We need a very fine paste. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and finely sliced small onions.

Saute till the small onions are nicely brown. Once the onions are brown, add in the ground paste.

Add a cup of water to the empty mixie jar and wash off all the leftover masala paste and add it back to the pan.

Simmer the gravy for 10 minutes. The gravy should not be very thick. It should be like the consistency of sambar.

Serve Thakkali aati kaachina kuzhambu with idli.