Step by step guide to make Mullangi Thokku- Radish Masala- An easy South Indian style Daikon curry. This tangy and slightly spicy Radish curry uses Daikon Radish and whole spices like fennel. Pair this naturally vegan and gluten-free with steamed rice or piping hot Chapatis.
Mullangi Puli Thokku- Radish Masala
This is an easy vegan and gluten-free side dish. You can make this with both Daikon radish and the pink radishes. The baby radishes also work very well here.
We also call this as Radish masala or Mullangi Puli Thokku too.
As the name suggests, this is a slightly tangy dish.
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Ingredients
Radishes
Mullangi is Radish in Tamil. Mullangi is called as Mooli in Hindi. There are two types of radishes that we can find in India. The white one; also called as Daikon radish is the most common.
The pink ones are not very widely available. I remember carrying pink radishes from Coimbatore to Vadodara while we lived there.
We love Radish here at the Praveens household. Needless to say, Radish sambar ( Mullangi Sambar) is our favorite Sambar.
I have used Daikon radishes to make this vegan Mullangi Masala. You can also use pink radishes.
Tamarind Paste
I have used concentrated tamarind paste in this recipe. This is store-bought. You can also use the traditional Puli Karaichal to make this thokku. Check our substitutes for knowing how.
Sesame Oil
Cold-pressed sesame oil adds a fantastic flavor to this Mullangi Masala. I highly recommend using this for amazing flavors in the thokku.
Method
Tempering:
Our first step is tempering the thokku. To do this, heat a pan with sesame oil. Pop the mustard seeds and add the fennel seeds along with the curry leaves.
Making the gravy:
Now add the chopped shallots and garlic. Fry till shallots turn pink and translucent.
At this stage, add the spice powders. Mix well. Cook on low flame for 30 secs.
Tip in the chopped tomatoes next and cook till the tomatoes become mushy.
Now add tamarind paste and salt. Mix well.
This is the gravy for our Radish masala.
Cooking the radish
Now that our gravy is ready, our next step is cooking the radish along with the gravy to infuse flavors.
Add the sliced radish to the pan and mix well. Make sure the masala coats the radish well.
Once this is done, add 1 c water and salt.
Simmer this for 10 mins or until 90% of the water is absorbed and the radishes are fork-tender.
Our Mullangi Thokku is now ready to be served.
Serving suggestions
This Thokku pairs well with rice and sambar. You can serve it on its own with steaming hot rice and poppadums. This works well as a side dish for Chapatis too.
Mullangi Puli Thokku tastes best with curd rice.
Find our Curd Rice recipe here:
Fortified Curd Rice~ BM13 Day 7
More Thokku Recipes
Substitutes
- Tamarind Paste– You can substitute this with the regular Tamarind extract that we use for making sambar. Soak a small marble size tamarind in 1 c warm water for 15 mins. Smash the tamarind well along with the water. Strain this liquid. Discard all fibres. And use in place of the tamarind paste.
- Sesame Oil– Any neutral-flavored vegetable oil works best in this Thokku.
- Shallots– You can substitute the shallots with 1 c finely chopped regular onions.
- Tomatoes- Use ripe red tomatoes for best taste in this recipe.
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Mullangi Thokku- Radish Masala
Equipment
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 tbsp Sesame oil cold pressed
- 1/2 c Peeled and sliced shallots
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 4 cloves Garlic chopped roughly
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1.5 tsp Red chili powder
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 c Finely chopped tomato
- 1.5 tsp Tamarind paste
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- 200 g Radish peeled and sliced 1.25 c approximately after slicing
- 1 c Water
Instructions
Tempering
- Our first step is tempering the thokku. To do this, heat a pan with sesame oil. Pop the mustard seeds and add the fennel seeds along with the curry leaves.
Making the gravy
- Now add the chopped shallots and garlic. Fry till shallots turn pink and translucent.
- At this stage, add the spice powders. Mix well. Cook on low flame for 30 secs.
- Tip in the chopped tomatoes next and cook till the tomatoes become mushy.
- Now add tamarind paste and salt. Mix well.
- This is the gravy for our Radish masala.
Cooking the radish
- Now that our gravy is ready, our next step is cooking the radish along with the gravy to infuse flavors.
- Add the sliced radish to the pan and mix well. Make sure the masala coats the radish well.
- Once this is done, add 1 c water and salt.
- Simmer this for 10 mins or until 90% of the water is absorbed and the radishes are fork-tender.
- Our Mullangi Thokku is now ready to be served.
For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.
Adithi Sandeep says
Hi Anusha, tried this recipe , I must say the flavours work brilliantly together! Also, this was my first dish with sesame oil and only my second featuring fennel, I’m super happy with the result!
anusha says
Hey Adithi! Thank you so much for your kind words. I m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe.