Hunasekayi Tokku | Raw or Green tamarind Pickle |

ಹುಣಸೇಕಾಯಿ ತೊಕ್ಕು | ಹುಣಸೇ ತೊಕ್ಕು |

Tokku (Kannada word) refers to a spicy flavourful south Indian style condiment, essentially a thick pickle made from grated or pureed or crushed or Pounded raw vegetables or herbs or fruits like tomato, onion, raw mango, amla, raw tamarind, green and red chilies, apple etc etc

Therefore we do have a particular type of tokku for every season like mango tokku in summer, amla tokku or tamarind tokku during winter, Gongura tokku during rainy season etc moreover some tokku’s are made round the year, anytime like tomato, apple, onion etc.

In Karnataka, that too in Bangalore, during the season, ie from November to march green tamarind is available in plenty in every market along with amla, red chili etc, therefore, there making hunasekayi tokku or Green tamarind Pickle is an yearly ritual or habit

However this year, particularly this winter season I could find raw tamarind on couple of instant delivery service like blinkit and flipcart. But as far as I know they have recently started selling this because it was not available earlier. But I don’t know may be I noticed it very recently this winter only

However I went ahead, bought raw tamarind washed and wiped it thoroughly, allowed it to get dry without any moisture in it then made tokku by adding some more herbs and spices.. that’s it ! and now you can have a look at how it is being made

NOTE : Anything and everything associated with making and storing the pickle should always be clean and dry, not even a drop of water should be there in anything otherwise it is cent percent definite that the pickle will get spoiled completely

Ingredients :

• Raw tamarind or hunasekayi – 300 gms
• Green chilli – 120 gms
• Fenugreek seeds – 2&1/2 tbsp
• Rock salt – 5 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – 1 tbsp

For tempering :

• Oil – 6 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tbsp
• Hing – 3/4 tsp

PROCEDURE :

• First and foremost thing we need to do is wash and wipe the tamarind thoroughly, spread it on a clean surface or cloth for few minutes, then remove its fibrous strands or strings that run along the length of the tamarind pod
• By the way you can also remove its seeds. Some people remove the seeds, whereas some don’t. But I normally try and remove most of them, just keeping few of them intact

• Wash and wipe green chilies thoroughly, remove its stem and set aside

• Prepare the tempering using all the ingredients listed below the heading ‘for tempering’, set aside until it gets cooled completely

• Now dry roast the fenugreek seeds slowly without burning and allow it cool completely
• Meanwhile gather together roasted fenugreek seeds, rock salt and turmeric powder, green chilies and tamarind in a mixie jar and grind into a coarse paste
• Try and keep the tokku coarsely ground, do not make it like fine paste

• That’s it ! transfer the tokku to a glass container, pour the tempering on it and mix everything well
• Rest it for an hour or so, then store the tokku in an air tight container
• OR
• You can store the ground paste and you can remove a portion of it whenever needed, then you should prepare the tempering sufficient for that particular portion, add it , mix well and use it. Repeat the same for each portion every time

Hunasekayi tokku being paired along with Spring onion and Soya leaves rice flour rotti