Step by Step Recipe to Make Tomato Pachadi or Thakkali Thayir Pachadi. A quick south indian veg side dish with your daily meals or grand sadya lunch.
Thakkali Thayir Pachadi or South Indian Tomato Raita made with cooked tomatoes, lentils, yogurt and coconut. Delicious condiment served alongside rice dishes or main meals.
Pachadi in Tamil Nadu refers to curd based condiment or tamarind based side dish. Served as part of festive menu especially during Onam and Vishu.
Indian Thali is incomplete without Raita. Raita can be made with vegetables, fruits, herbs and leafy greens. Popular choices are cucumber, beets, onion, tomato, pineapple and spinach or mint.
South Indian Tomato Raita is made with cooked tomatoes. It is perfect for those who dislike raw tomato taste (myself included).
Thayir Pachadi or Raita is great during summer. It is cooling and doesn't need a lot of effort. South Indian version of raita uses coconut.
The recipe takes 30 minutes roughly and the ingredients are easily available in your pantry / refrigerator. Serve it with Biryani, Pulao for entertaining, summer picnics and potlucks.
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How to make South Indian Tomato Raita or Thakkali Thayir Pachadi
Finely chop the tomatoes.
Heat a pan, add coconut oil and mustard seeds. Once mustard crackles, add chana dal and dry red chilies.
Once dal is roasted brown, add hing or asafoetida and the finely chopped tomatoes, Reduce the flame and allow the tomatoes to cook, until mushy.
In the meanwhile, whisk 1 cup of yogurt until smooth. Mince coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies in a mixer grinder jar until coarse. Keep this aside.
Switch off the flame, remove the tomatoes from the pan onto a serving bowl and allow it to cool. Note - Chuck the bowl in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
To the cooled tomatoes, add the coconut mixture and whisked yogurt. Season with salt and mix well.
Garnish tomato raita with finely chopped coriander. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Top Tips
Allow the cooked tomatoes to cool before adding yogurt. Never add cool yogurt to hot tomatoes. It will affect the taste and texture of the dish.
Adding salt at the end or just before serving prevents the raita from losing its consistency and turning watery.
Ensure the yogurt is fresh and thick. In summer, yogurt tends to taste sour. In this case, add some sugar to balance tartness.
If serving for guests, I would recommend adding yogurt just before guests arrive.
Storage / Leftovers
Raita tastes best when made and served fresh.
Store leftovers in an airtight container (refrigerated) and use within 24 hours.
Tomato Raita will taste a tad sour the next day. You may add extra yogurt and/or some sugar to balance tartness.
More Raita / Thayir Pachadi recipes
Vendakkai Pachadi (Okra Raita)
Onion Raita (for biryani, pulao, tomato rice)
The recipe was first published in May 2017. It is updated with step-wise pics, tips etc.
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Tomato Raita | South Indian Thakkali Thayir Pachadi
Equipment
- Mixer Grinder or chutney jar
Ingredients
- 5 Tomatoes Large tomatoes, ripe yet firm
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds or Rai
- 1-2 Dry Whole Red Chilies
- ½ tablespoon Chana dal
- 1 pinch Hing or asafoetida or 1/8th teaspoon (skip this ingredient for GF recipe)
- ¼ cup freshly Grated coconut
- ½ teaspoon Jeera or Cumin seeds
- 1 Green chillies
- 1 cup Curd (fresh and thick)
- salt to taste
- finely chopped coriander leaves as required
Instructions
- Rinse and chop tomatoes and keep aside.
- Heat a pan, add coconut oil and mustard seeds. Once mustard crackles, add chana dal and dry red chilies.
- Once dal is roasted brown, add hing or asafoetida and the finely chopped tomatoes.
- Reduce the flame and allow the tomatoes to cook, until mushy.
- In the meanwhile, whisk 1 cup of yogurt until smooth. Mince coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies in a mixer grinder jar until coarse. Keep this aside.
- Switch off the flame, remove the tomatoes from the pan onto a serving bowl and allow it to cool. Note - Chuck the bowl in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
- To the cooled tomatoes, add the coconut mixture and whisked yogurt. Season with salt and mix well.
- Garnish tomato raita with finely chopped coriander. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- Allow the cooked tomatoes to cool before adding yogurt. Never add cool yogurt to hot tomatoes. It will affect the taste and texture of the dish.
- Adding salt at the end or just before serving prevents the raita from losing its consistency and turning watery.
- Ensure the yogurt is fresh and thick. In summer, yogurt tends to taste sour. In this case, add some sugar to balance tartness.
- If serving for guests, I would recommend adding yogurt just before guests arrive.
- Vegan recipe - Substitute regular yogurt with Vegan curd.
- For a gluten-free recipe, omit hing or asafoetida.
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan
Unique and delicious recipe.
thank you so much