Tomato Pachadi Recipe (Andhra Style)
Updated: May 3, 2023, By Swasthi
Tomato Pachadi is an Andhra style chutney/condiment made with tomatoes, chilies, garlic, spices & tamarind. The Telugu word “Pachadi” translates to Chutney & sometimes even to a pickle. This slightly tangy, nutty & spicy tomato pachadi is mostly eaten, mixed with hot rice & ghee. It also goes well with any kind of Snacks and Breakfasts like Idli, Dosa, Pesarattu and Pongal. It can also be eaten with flatbreads like roti, paratha or even with toasted bread.
A traditional Andhra meal always consists of a spicy, hot and tangy pachadi, eaten as a side. These chutneys are mostly made with vegetables of all kinds like tomatoes, eggplants, ridge gourd, bottle gourd, carrots and even with leafy greens like gongura, spinach and coriander leaves.
About Tomato Pachadi
This Andhra Tomato Pachadi is made the most basic way by cooking or roasting the tomatoes until the raw flavor has gone. They are cooled and then crushed with roasted lentils or sesame seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, red or green chilies and salt.
Tomato pachadi can be made with any kind of tomatoes, – red ripe tomatoes, semi-ripe tomatoes or even with mature green tomatoes. The process to make the pachadi with all these kinds is same. I also have a recipe of Green Tomato Chutney here.
Ingredients like chana dal, urad dal and sesame seeds are most of the times used in Andhra pachadi recipes. These are roasted on a low heat to bring out the nutty aroma and then ground with the other ingredients.
Apart from balancing the tang from tomatoes, lentils and sesame seeds add some thickness and flavor to the pachadi. This is my Mom’s recipe and she always used sesame seeds as they are healthy and are a rich source of iron, zinc, selenium, fiber and many more. If you don’t want to use them replace with chana dal and/or urad dal.
Traditional tomato pachadi is made with heirloom tomatoes and usually no onions are used. If you want to use onions for sweeter tones, you may check this Tomato chutney recipe.
A lot of people also use tamarind and use plenty of green chilies and/or red chilies to balance the extra tang. I have not used tamarind. If you want you may add a small piece of tamarind while you cook the tomatoes.
Garlic adds pungent flavors, while cumin imparts an earthy aroma and also helps in digestion. Tomato pachadi can also be made to a coarse texture, you will just pulse the ingredients for that.
More Recipes
Tomato Thokku
Tomato Pickle
Easy Tomato Rasam
Tomato Rice
Tomato Curry
Photo Guide
How to make Tomato Pachadi (Stepwise photos)
Preparation
1. To a hot pan, add
- ¾ tbsp chana dal & ¾ tbsp urad dal (or 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds)
- 3 to 4 dried red chilies.
Dry roast them on a low heat until golden & crisp. If using chana dal and urad dal dal roast them until golden and aromatic. If using sesame seeds, toast for about 2 minutes and then add the cumin. Toss everything well. Do not burn them, the chutney turns bitter if they are burnt. At the end of this step, you should have crisp red chilies, that helps to blend them well. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
2. To the same pan, add one tsp. oil and heat it. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves. As soon as they sizzle, add 2 cups chopped tomatoes (about 2 large or 4 medium). Sprinkle half teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon turmeric. By cooking garlic along with tomatoes, the pungent smell of garlic goes away. If you want that pungent flavor you may skip it here and add the raw garlic directly to the grinder.
3. Cook the tomatoes till they turn fully mushy and pulpy. If your tomatoes are hard sprinkle some water. Then cook covered. Cool it completely. To fasten the cooling I transfer it to a plate and spread it.
Make the Pachadi
4. Add the cooled roasted ingredients dals or sesame seeds , red chilies and cumin. Powder these finely.
5. If needed scrape off the sides and powder again.
6. Add the cooled tomato pulp. If using raw garlic, you can add it. If you want you can also add ¼ inch piece of peeled ginger.
7. Blend well to a smooth paste. Do not add water. Taste test and add more salt if you want.
Temper Tomato Pachadi
8. Heat 2 tsps oil in a small pan on a low to medium heat. Add a pinch of mustard, cumin, half broken dried red chilli and a generous pinch of urad dal (adds flavor, optional). When the dal turns golden, add 1 sprig curry leaves and a pinch of hing. Switch off. Pour this to the pachadi or transfer the chutney here and mix well.
Serve Tomato pachadi with breakfasts like idli, pesarattu, dosa, pongal, paratha or sandwiches.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Tomato Pachadi Recipe (Andhra Style)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 3 to 4 dried red chilies (adjust to taste or red chili flakes)
- 2 cups tomatoes chopped, (2 large or 4 medium)
- ¾ tablespoon chana dal or 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
- ¾ tablespoon urad dal
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 cloves garlic (or ¼ teaspoon ginger)
Tempering
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 dried red chili small, broken
- 1 pinch cumin (⅛ teaspoon)(optional)
- 1 pinch mustard (⅛ teaspoon)
- 1 pinch urad dal (¼ to ½ teaspoon) (optional, adds flavor)
- 1 pinch hing
- 1 pod garlic crushed (optional)
Instructions
Preparation
- Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add red chilies, chana dal and urad dal. Roast them until they turn golden & aromatic. Red chilies should turn crisp. If using sesame seeds add them now and toast slightly.
- Then add cumin & roast just for few seconds. Remove them and set aside to cool.
- To the same pan, add tomatoes, garlic, salt and turmeric. Fry till the tomatoes turn completely soft and mushy. If needed cover and cook. Set aside to cool.
How to make Tomato Pachadi
- To a grinder add the roasted chilies, lentils and cumin. Powder them fine.
- Add tomatoes and grind. If you want a traditional pachadi consistency, pulse a few times, scraping the sides.
- Check the salt and spice now. if needed add more.
Tempering
- Add oil to the same pan and heat it. Add mustard cumin, red chili, curry leaves and hing. if you wish you can add a garlic pod too. when the curry leaves turn crisp. Turn off the stove. Add the pachadi to the pan and mix well.
- Serve tomato pachadi with rice, any Indian breakfasts or bread.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
About Swasthi
Iโm Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthiโs Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
Follow Swasthi’s Recipes
Comments
All your recipes are very good. They are all helpful to persons who are living alone like me. Simple cooking super taste. I suggest you to check Telugu translation of recipes. Thanks a lot
You are most welcome and so happy to know the recipes are helping.
Swasthi, this is an appreciation post. I just want to thank you for teaching me cooking. Living abroad, I don’t miss home food anymore now because you literally have covered every recipe here. Thank you for all the small details that you take care of. You have made my life easy abroad
I wanted to double check – is the mustard in seed or ground form? Is the urad dal whole or split?
Hi Div,
Yes mustard seeds in the whole form and urad dal is split. I have the pictures included in the post for reference
I liked the other version of this with onions. I make it every week.
A lot of people don’t like onions in this chutney and feel the flavor of tomatoes is lost. But I always wonder how both these versions taste so different as I make both & can’t say one is better than the other.
๐
Hi Swasthi,
I really like your recipes.
However, in this recipes you say 2 cup which should be 480 grams of tomatos? But in your pictures, it looks like far less quantity of tomatoes.
Can you pls clarify.
Thanks, Vini
Hi Vini,
Thank you!. But why do you want to weigh the tomatoes? Just chop them roughly and measure them. I write the same quantities as shown in the pictures. They may be around 350 to 400 grams.
Good to know I can add sesame seeds..I would usually add methi seeds as well to the dry ingredients fried..
Thank you Saranya!
Hope you enjoy it
Hi Swasthi, how long can I preserve this chutney. Please advice tips if I want to store it for atleast 3 to 4 weeks.
Hi Naim
This will not keep good for that long. Max is 2 to 3 days. Check this tomato pickle . You can keep this for 2 months.
Tried Tomota recipe. Came well. Thanks for tasty food. Your recipes help persons living alone. I am not going to outside food. Depending fully on your site.
Thanks a lot.
very nice recipes
Friends have a “bird sown”tomato bush that bears tomatoes profusely. They do not get past a yellow colour, very firm and healthy but lacking in tomato flavor. Is there a use for them. I have had a few on my kitchen windowsill and theystubbornly stay yellow. Could someone help here please
Hi Julie,
You can try this green tomato chutney
Just made this to have with dosa… And I am already licking the spoon clean… This is going in my list of yummy things..
Thanks for trying Moumita
Glad to know you liked it.
๐
The recipe for tomatoe chatney sounds delicious!!! Sure I’m going to make it one of these days.
Thanks Devi
Nice recipe. Chutney turned out yummy. We tried this with oats idli. Thank you.
Welcome Mithila
Your recipes look fabulous and I would love to try them, but am dissapointed that you do not have a print function on your recipe cards (my computer is far away from the kitchen) and I am not going to spend time writing them out…. I want to spend my time making them and enjoying eating them….
Hi Sandy
Thank you. Yes there is no print option on the blog due to a technical problem. We are working on it to resolve. You can still take the print from the browser options.You will have to choose only the recipe page to print instead of all the pages. Hope this helps
Hi Swasthi
Thank you so much for your prompt reply and assistance – they is greatly appreciated. The browser function does not actually work like that as the recipe page is mostly spread over 2-3 pages with other stuff wrapping it at the beginning and end… Nonetheless, thank you. I hope your print function and select (one cannot even select text to print either – both are anti copyright protocols – but not very friendly or inviting) functions work soon! ๐
Kind regards
Sandy
Okay I understand the problem. Yes the select and copy fns have been disabled as we are struggling a lot with plagiarism issues. We will try our best to bring back the print option on the recipe card soon. Thanks
Take a picture in your phone or open the website in your phone keep the phone in the kitchen and try the recipes so simple
Thank you!
I tired this recipe today turned out very well but it was damn spicy.. I love all your recipes thx alot
Welcome Afreen
Glad to know you liked it. Thanks for trying
๐
Hi , Tried this recipe with oinion, it was tasty, Thank u for this recipe
Its very nice very easy to cook thanks
welcome Anitha
Super recipes thanks for sare
How to preserve long time
Tomato chatani
Tomato chutney turned out yummy. Made your idli and chutney
Thanks Shalu
Glad to know you liked it
Hi, Swasthi.
I always wonder what kind of blender (brand/manufacturer) you use?
Is it multi-purpose? Say, to make masala, paste for kurma, and chutney?
I bought a blender here in Japan, to make powder spices, however, it’s not strong enough to make chutney or paste for kurma, and wonder if I could buy similar blender you have by online?
Thank you!
Hi naoko,
Sorry for the delay. I am using panasonic mx ac 400 for all the chutney, masala powder and paste for curries. It is available on amazon, India. Hope this helps