Andhra Style Tomato Pachadi (Thakkali Pachadi)

Tomato Pachadi (Thakkali Pachadi) is a delicious Andhra-style spicy and tangy tomato chutney recipe. It goes well with South Indian breakfast dishes such as idli, uttapam, dosa, and even appams (vegan, can be easily made gluten-free).

Jump to:

• About Tomato Pachadi
• Ingredients & Variations
• How To Make Tomato Pachadi
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You Might Also Like
• Recipe Card

About Tomato Pachadi

Pachadi means chutney in Telugu language. Tomato Pachadi (Thakkali Pachadi) is Andhra-style tomato chutney. It is a delicious spicy and tangy condiment that perks up the taste of any meal in no time

Also called Tomato Nilava Pachadi, it is super easy to make and comes together in under 30 minutes using a few simple ingredients.

This Tomato Pachadi Recipe is vegan and can be easily made gluten-free. You can also double or triple the recipe as per your requirements.

Here are some other pachadi recipes that can be served with your South Indian meals

• Pineapple Pachadi
• Sorakaya Pachadi
• Avakaya Pachadi
• Vendakka Pachadi
• Beetroot Pachadi

Ingredients & Variations

Tomatoes – Choose red and ripe fresh tomatoes to prepare this pachadi.

To make variations of this chutney, you can use semi-ripe or even raw green tomatoes.

Tamarind Pulp – It adds a delicious tanginess to the dish. You can replace it with lime juice if it’s not easily available.

Red Dry Chilies – Along with tanginess, you also need spiciness and these red dry chilies do that magic. You can increase or decrease the dry red chilies, according to your spice level.

Lentils – Chana dal (Bengal gram lentils) and white urad dal (split and skinned black lentils) add a nice texture to this pachadi.

Others – You will also need oil, fresh curry leaves, brown mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds (methi dana), cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), asafetida (hing), salt, and turmeric powder.

Skip adding asafetida to make it gluten-free.

You can also add some roasted white sesame seeds to this chutney.

Many people add garlic, ginger, and onions to their pachadi recipe, however, I like to keep it simple.

In case you wish to make tomato pachadi spicier then you can add more red chilies.

If the tomatoes are slightly sour then you can use a slightly lesser amount of tamarind.

How To Make Tomato Pachadi

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add

• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon chana dal
• 1 tablespoon white urad dal

and fry until they turn slightly brown, stirring frequently.

Add

• ¼ teaspoon asafetida
• 15-20 whole curry leaves
• 8-10 whole dry red chilies (stalks removed)

and fry for 30-35 seconds, stirring continuously.

Now add 9 oz (250 g) of chopped tomatoes and mix well.

Reduce the heat to low.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook until tomatoes are well cooked and mushy (12-15 minutes), stirring a few times in between.

Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool down to room temperature. 

Add the mixture to a blender or a food processor along with 2 tablespoon cilantro and 1 teaspoon salt and blend to make coarse chutney.

Check for salt and tamarind pulp and add more if needed.

Transfer the chutney to an airtight glass container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

Tomato Pachadi tastes delicious with Goli Baje, Medu Vada, Idli, Rava Idli, Dosa, Uttapam, Pesarattu, Paniyaram, Bondas, and Fritters.

It also tastes great with Upma and Khara Pongal.

You can also serve it on the side with your South Indian meal of Sambar, Rice, and Thoran or even with the popular combination Rasam Rice! 

You can even try it with Roti or Tawa Paratha.

Storage Suggestions

This Tomato Chutney will last in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days when stored in an air-tight container.

Take it out from the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes before serving so that the chutney can come down to room temperature.

You can also reheat the amount you want to serve in a pan or in the microwave.

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Recipe Card