Thakkali kuzhambu, learn how to make tomato gravy for rice! Tangy and yummy gravy with tomato, onion , coconut milk.

Thakkali kulambu/ thakkali kuzhambu – I drool 😋even when I say that. I like this a lot but never got chance or had a recipe to try.
When I was going through the recipe book mom gave me, this suddenly fell in my eyes.
I have scanned this book several times with my eyes for recipes to try, but somehow this recipe has been ignored by me.
So at last I tried this and loved it to the core. I had this two times with hot rice the day I made it.
It's so yummy and rich with coconut milk in it. Usually the tomato kuzhambu recipe will be with ground coconut and fennel, this one was totally different.
And I am sure I would make this often here after. I just followed the recipe as such in the book as I was making it for the first time.
Vazhakkai curry:
Vazhakkai curry recipe
Stepwise images
- Boil enough water in a vessel firstly and add the tomatoes to keep immersed for 20 seconds to half a minute. Then take it out and you should be able to peel off the skin like just we do for potatoes.
2. Grate coconut and grind it with ¼ cup water and strain/ squeeze to get first milk using a broad metal strainer.
Again add ¼ cup lukewarm water to the coconut remain and grind again to extract second.
3. Keep both extracted milk separately. Meanwhile, mash the peeled tomatoes well with your hands. Peel the shallots and slice them lengthwise.
4. Heat a kadai/pan with oil and splutter mustard. Add curry leaves,green chillies and onion. Fry until golden spot appears over the onion.
5. Add the second extracted thin coconut milk, 1 & ¼ cup water, the mashed tomatoes, sambar powder.
Boil for 5-6 minutes in medium flame or until desired thick consistency is reached.
6. Lastly add the first extracted coconut milk,salt and boil until oil separates and floats on top.
Thakkali kuzhambu ready! Who wants tangy, yummy thakkali kuzhambu?
Check out my tomato rasam recipe.
Recipe card
thakkali kuzhambu recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Tomato
- 12 Small onion shallots
- 10 Green chillies Medium spice
- 2.5 teaspoon Sambar powder
- ½ cup Coconut milk from ½ of a coconut
- Salt
To temper
- 3 tablespoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds Optional (I did not add)
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
Instructions
- Boil enough water in a vessel firstly and add the tomatoes to keep immersed for 20 seconds to half a minute.
- Once done, take it out and you should be able to peel off the skin like just we do for potatoes.
- Grate coconut and grind it with ¼ cup water and strain/ squeeze to get first milk using a broad metal strainer.
- Again add ¼ cup lukewarm water to the coconut remain and grind again to extract second.
- Keep both extracted milk separately.
- Mash the peeled tomatoes well with your hands. Peel the shallots and slice them lengthwise.
- Heat a kadai/pan with oil and splutter mustard. Add fennel seeds (if adding) curry leaves, green chillies and onion.
- Fry until golden spot appears over the onion.
- Add the second extracted thin coconut milk, 1 & ¼ cup water, the mashed tomatoes, sambar powder.
- Boil for 5-6 minutes in medium flame or until desired thick consistency is reached.
- Lastly add the first extracted coconut milk, salt and boil until oil separates and floats on top.
Notes
- Use red ripe and tangy tomatoes for best results. (Naatu thakkali)
- If you feel the tomato is less in tanginess, you can add a tablespoon of thick tamarind extract in this.
- Don't think 10 chillies are too much for this, it will be needed to balance the tanginess.
- You can replace sambar powder with 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and 1 & ½ teaspoon of dhaniya powder.
- If you want it on more spicier side, add more chilli or chilli powder.
Vardhini
Looks terrific Raks. My mom makes a version of tomato kuruma that I drool over all the time :). The coconut in this kuzhambu reminded me of the kuruma. 🙂
Vardhini
Event: Bake Fest
Anu
Thakkali kuzhambu with coconut milk would have tasted wonderful, even I drool for thakkali thokku and kuzhambu.
Veena Theagarajan
This is my hubby favourite and mum's speciality.. yours looks simple and yummy love the color!
http://great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com
Nagalakshmi V
i too love tangy kuzhambu. yesterday made a version of this since i was craving it so bad.
Sowmya D.S.L
I love tangy tomato kuzhambu a lot !! thanks i m gonna give this a try 🙂
Sudha Sabarish
Always love to have this with roti,dosa and rice.But never tried with the coconut.Looks yummy.
APARNARAJESHKUMAR
we love this kind of kuzhambu instead of milk i use to grind the coconut ! 🙂 always yummy
Chitra
Loved its color. will try sometime..As u said i know only the coconut , fennel version 🙂
Jiboombaa
Mouthwatering kulambu! love it...
Jayanthi Karthikeyan
Nice colourful clicks.
Shylaja Praveen
Delicious Kuzhambu raks. Nice alternative to regular Sambar and vetha Kuzhambu
Kalpana Sareesh
i simply love it...
Nivedhanams Sowmya
Beautiful pictures... so rich in color and so healthy!!!
Sowmya
Ongoing Event - Let's Party - Eggless Bakes and Treats
Ongoing Event - SYF & HWS - Ginger
Shama Nagarajan
Yummy and inviting !!join me in Fast Food - Poha event in my blog here : http://easy2cookrecipes.blogspot.in/2012/12/fast-food-poha-aval-flattened-rice.html
Subha
I tried this yesterday for Dosa when friends visited. Turned out great. I used coconut milk instead and still tasted great. Thanks so much for a quick, easy and delicious recipe.
Sharmilee! :)
Can almost see the flavour in ur clicks...nice variation kuzhambu, looks yum
Radhika
Wow d pic is sooo tempting..gr8 job Raks..this is sumthg vry new to mee..gonna try it today itself.thnx!!
Radhika
This comment has been removed by the author.
Radhika
Raks it turned out super..thnx!!
Radhika
Raks..it turned out so delicious..my hubby kept on saying..too gud so yumm...etc am so happy thnx!!
Nithya
hi raji , thakkali kulambu simply super
Karkuzhali
hi, i tried this today, came out very well,
myself & my hubby liked this very much, nice recipe,
thanks
Durga
Tried and it's delicious...
jaya chithra
cool kozhambu
jeya preethi
sema taste!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cooked .
Mahalakshmi
Very nice photos!
suchitra
Hi Raks........Kulambu looks great...will try soon...Where did you buy the vessel in which you made Kulambu.?..Is it made of glass? It looks transparent....
suchitra
Hey Raks....Kulambu looks great....will try it soon.Can you pls tell me where did you buy the vessel in which you made kulambu? It looks transparent like it is made of glass.....
Raks anand
I bought that here in Singapore. A type of corning ware. Called VISIONS.
jananb4u
Hi Raks, tried this yesterday night for dinner along with idly... it came out so well.. my mom doesn't like fennel, n all those masala items.. she was surprised with this taste without any masala items... u know some thing, normally she eats 4 idlies, with this she ate almost 6!
Thank u ...
Jan
Ahilaa Kamuthurai
Tasted delicious...made our Sunday 🙂
Deepa
Tempted and delicious. Tried it in home and turned out super good result
Pooja Ashok
Hi! I want to try this but the grinding of coconut to extract milk is daunting. Can I use canned coconut milk? How do you recommend we adjust the quantity?
Raks Anand
Sure can use the canned ones. Dilute with water and use. You can add around 3-4 tbsp for this recipe. Adjust water quantity.