Kothamalli Thokku / Coriander Leaves Thokku

I am a great fan of pickles and thokku varieties, especially the Grand sweets and Snacks ones. Back in India I used to get them frequently. I also carried a couple of bottles while travelling to Amsterdam. But alas, they didn’t last me very long. Now, I was left with no other option other than trying it in my kitchen.

I remembered having a homemade version of the kothamalli thokku at one of my aunt’s place. I checked with her for the recipe. Infact she had learnt it from her MIL. So here is her version of the Kothamalli thokku. I was very pleased with the result.

It is a great accompaniment with curd rice, parathas or even as a sandwich spread. You could also simply mix a portion of the thokku with steaming hot rice. It tastes great. 

Makes a small cup

What you’ll need

1. Fresh Coriander Leaves – 2 Big bunches, (approx 2 cups tightly packed) only leaves and tender stems
2. Dried Red Chillies – 5 or 6
3. Tamarind – a small gooseberry sized ball
4. Asafoetida – a generous pinch
5. Jaggery – 1 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
8. Gingely oil/Nalla Ennai – 3 to 4 tbsp

Method

1. Wash and clean the coriander leaves. Discard the hard and mature stem. Roughly chop and keep aside.
2. Heat a kadai with a spoon of oil and fry the red chillies, tamarind and asafoetida.
3. Grind the red chillies and tamarind and then add the chopped coriander leaves to the mixie jar and grind. Add very little water and grind to a smooth paste.
4. Heat a kadai and add the remaining oil, once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds.
5. Once the mustard splutters add the ground coriander paste, salt and jaggery and sauté till the oil leaves the sides of the kadai.