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“Vengaya Thokku” -  A south Indian style of Spicy, sweet and salty Onion Relish

“Vengaya” means Onion and “Thokku” means pickle or relish in Tamil. When I was a kid I used to hang out a lot at my friend’s place whose family was Tamil Brahmins from Chennai. They were our next-door neighbors so there was a lot of cultural exchange between both the families. Obviously, there was also an exchange traditional recipes. I must say, their pickles are some of the most flavorful. So here’s a recipe for Onion Thokku which is a great condiment for idli, dosa, rice meal, and Pita bread. 

Ingredients: 

3 cup red onions

22 garlic cloves

1/2 cup tamarind soaked in water

6 Kashmiri dry red chilies soaked in water

5 tbsp. oil

salt to taste

1 teaspoon Turmeric 

1 tbsp. Jaggery

1/2 tbsp Coriander seeds 

2 tbsp. mustard seeds 

1 pinch Asafoetida 

1 tbsp Fenugreek seeds

1 tbsp Bengal gram (optional)

1 tbsp skinned black gram/ Urad daal (optional)

6 to 7 curry leaves 

Method: 

1 - To a pan add Fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, and only 1 tbsp mustard seeds. Slightly roast it till it gets brown. Grind this to a fine powder and set it aside. 

2 - Now to a mixer jar add onion, 10 to 15 cloves of garlic, tamarind and red chilies. Grind it into a paste.

3 - Heat oil in a deep pot and add 1 tbsp of mustard seeds, 1 tbs Bengal gram and Black gram. Let it change to a golden brown color. Now add left over garlic cloves and curry leaves to the oil and stir. Now add the onion paste to it. and cook for a minute. 

4 - Now add turmeric powder, salt, jaggery, and ground powder which you made in the first step.

5 - Sauté till it thickens and separates the oil. The color should change to a darker brown. Taste and adjust the salt according to your liking. 

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