Tamarind tokku/ Hunase tokku/ tender tamarind spicy chutney/ Hunase khara

Tokku is very similar like pickles or gojju. It can be made easily when the ingredients required are in season, and stored for 6 months to 1 year. Tamarind/ hunase tokku is a famous dish from North Karnataka. I learnt it from a lady from Raichur who shared some of the tokku which she brought from her native initially. She shared her recipe too.

During my recent visit to our native/ Coastal Karnataka, I got handful of tender tamarinds. I and my son ate few pieces with salt which brought my childhood memories back. We used to pluck tamarinds from the trees which we crossed everyday on our way to school by walk (about 2 k.m). We were also fortunate to get some salt to pair with from nearby homes! Interesting, isn’t it??  I love tangy fruits like tamarind / hog plum/ raw mango to eat same way my son loves that too.

Now let us see how to make the tokku which is in the picture today!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 1 cup

Ingredients:

Tender tamarind/ raw tamarind – 1 cup

Green chillis – 5-8, adjust to taste

Salt – to taste (about 1 tsp)

Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp

Cooking oil – 2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – ¼ tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 generous pinch

 

 

Method:

• Wash green chillis, remove stalk & dry using a clean towel, set aside.
• Wash tamarind with running water. Spread on a clean kitchen towel. Pat dry, set aside for a while to get the dry tamarind.
• Meanwhile, heat a pan. Add fenugreek seeds & dry roast. Fry them in medium flame until fenugreek seeds turn brown & you get nice roasted aroma.
• Break them with your fingers removing the fibrous root like structure as much as possible.
• If the seeds are matured & hard then remove them by crushing the tamarind a bit using mortar and pestle. If tamarind is very tender, you need not remove seeds.
• Now take these tamarind chunks, green chillis, fried fenugreek seeds & salt in a dry mixer jar. Blend until you get a fine paste.
• Transfer to a bowl.
• Now prepare a seasoning of cumin seeds & mustard seeds in cooking oil. On spluttering, add asafoetida powder & turmeric powder. Switch off the heat & set aside until it comes to room temperature. Add it to the tokku or tamarind chutney that is prepared.
• Mix well. Transfer to a glass jar with lid. It can be stored for almost an year if it is prepared without any water content like pickling. If planning to store for longer duration, add seasoning/ tadka before every serving, not at the time of preparation.
• It can be served with curd rice, jowar rotti & curds.

Notes:

• This tokku can be stored for long time without refrigeration. For safer side, I refrigerate it.
• If making in large batch to store for longer duration, then do not add tempering/ tadka at the time of preparation. Take small portion of tokku out of large jar to serve & add seasoning to it.
• You can add a piece of ginger as an optional ingredient; in this case, ginger flavour dominates over other.
• Spice level can be adjusted as required by adding more or less chillis.
• Optionally, garlic can also be added while making this tokku.