Raw Tamarind Thokku / Hunase Kayi Thokku

Raw tamarind thokku is a special dish that instantly takes me back to memories from 26 years ago. When I moved to Bengaluru, I used to stay in my Doddamma's house. She used to prepare such yummy thokku of raw tamarind and also raw mango. Me and my cousin used to enjoy along with fresh rice and coconut oil.

Recently my friend Rajeshwari plucked few fresh raw tamarind and got it for me. I decided to prepare thokku and enjoy the taste and cherish the old memories too.

Recipe courtesy: Vimala Shekhar, my Doddamma. 

Ingredients 

Raw tamarind  : 1/2 kg

Salt : 1 cup

Coconut oil : 3 spoons

Green chillies : 20

Fenugreek seeds : 1 spoon
Asafoetida : for taste

Method

Please use tamarind which is not too grown and bit tender. Wash and dry the raw tamarind (either under the sun or using dry cloths). Remove the skin of the tamarind (using knife / peeler / eelige mane). 

Using a pestel, hit the tamarind and remove seeds and the thread like portion. Discard seeds and thread.

Add salt to airtight and dry glass bottle, add mashed tamarind, mix well and keep it aside for a week.

After a week, roast fenugreek seeds, powder the same using a mixer grinder. 

Wash and dry the green chillies and add to the mixer jar and grind. Now add tamarind from the bottle and grind that as well. 

Transfer the content back to the jar. 

Heat a tempering spatula, add coconut oil and asafoetida. After 10 seconds, add this to the thokku jar and mix well.

You can enjoy this thokku with freshly cooked hot rice along with little bit of coconut oil. It tastes so yummy.

You need to ensure that not to mix water in the entire preparation. This thokku can be stored for more than a year without refrigerating.