Drumstick thoku/ Murungakai thoku

Many years ago I remember having tasted drumstick thoku and quite enjoying the taste. Moreover the fact that a vegetable like drumstick could also be pickle never ceased to amaze me. Well, what got me enthused this time was a packet of lovely long drumsticks all the way from Kerala. And believe me. I am not exaggerating … each of them was close to a meter in length.An overdose of sāmbhar was surely not my idea of using those lovely succulent drumsticks so I decided to try a thoku. Reminiscing about that thoku  I had  almost a decade ago I realized that  it was from the kitchens  of Andhra. 

Drumstick thoku/ Murungakai thoku

Ingredients 
Drumsticks: about 4 cups (cut into 2 inch long pieces)
Chilli Powder: ½ cup
Gingerly /Sesame seed Oil: 1 cup
Salt: to taste
Turmeric Powder: 1 teaspoon
Tamarind Pulp:  a large lemon sized ball
Onion: Finely Chopped 1 cup
Tomato: finely chopped 2 cups   

Seasoning 
Mustard Seeds: 2 teaspoons
Fenugreek seeds: 1 teaspoon (dry roasted and coarsely ground)
Asafoetida: ½ teaspoon
Whole Dried chilies: broken 10 nos
Garlic: 8 flakes

Procedure:

Drumstick thoku/ Murungakai thoku

Wash the drumsticks, wipe them dry and cut them into 2 inch long pieces. Spread them out on the kitchen towel and leave it under the fan to dry for an hour or so.

Heat about 4 tablespoons of oil and fry the drumsticks pieces for about 5minutes. Stir them gently once in a way. Keep the lid covered initially, towards the end, take off the lid and allow the moisture to evaporate.

Once the pieces appear fried, take it out of the oil and keep it aside.

To the remaining oil, add the rest of the oil kept aside. Once the oil is hot, season it with chopped onions, chopped tomatoes,broken dry chilies, mustard seeds, asfoetida powder and garlic. Allow the garlic flakes to fry well.

Add the coarsely ground fenugreek seeds.

Turn off the fire,allow it to cool a little and then add the chilly and turmeric powder and salt.

Mix all these ingredients well and now add the tamarind pulp and place it on the stove again.

Allow it to cook till all the water evaporates and the oil starts to float on the surface.

Turn off the fire and add the fried drumstick pieces into the fried paste.

Allow it to cool thoroughly and then bottle it.

This pickle keeps for about 6 days. You could alternately tuck it away in the refrigerator if need be.