thakkali satham

Ingredients
Tomatoes on vine / Thakkali - 2 1/2 (medium, finely chopped) or 2 cup of chopped tomatoes
Onion / Periya Vengayam - 3/4 (medium, finely chopped) or little less than 1 cup of finely chopped onions
Shallots / Chinna Vengayam - 4 (finely chopped)
Garlic - 2 flakes (crushed)
Oil / Ennai - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds / Kadugu - 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds / Jeeragam - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal / Ulutam parupu - 1/2 tsp
Hing - sprinkle
Curry leaves - few
Red Chili powder / Milagai thool - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Cooked Rice - 2 cup
Instructions
Wash the vegetables and finely chop the onion, shallots, tomatoes and crush the garlic.
In a kadai, add oil. When it is hot temper with mustard seeds. As it splutters, on a low flame add cumin seeds, urad dhal, hing and curry leaves. Add garlic and fry for 8-10 seconds until urad dhal starts changing its color.
On a medium flame, add the chopped onions and saute until it becomes translucent. This will take 3-4 minutes. Add a portion of salt as you taste.
When the volume of onions reduces add turmeric powder and saute for 10 seconds and let the turmeric fry in oil. Add 1 or 2 tbsp of water it it sticks to the pan.
Now add tomatoes and let it cook until it becomes mushy.
Usually adding salt helps the vegetables to leave out water and it helps them to cook easily. I have not added water in my preparation as the tomatoes I used oozed out lot of water. You can add few tbsp of water if necessary.
Add chili powder, remaining salt and let it cook for 10 minutes on a low flame or until the tomatoes are cooked well.Take a large bowl or plate, add the cooked rice, a portion of curry and mix it well. If you think it is too dry add some more curry. Never mix everything together you might end up having more curry in the rice or the rice might be too dry without any curry. You can also serve the curry and rice separately without mixing it prior.