Bilahir Tok is an Assamese style spicy, sour and tangy tomato chutney that is quick, easy and so delicious. This versatile chutney can be paired with almost anything, and is the perfect condiment to make and store in your refrigerator.
Ready to perk up your meals with this insanely delicious condiment? Scroll down and read on to know more about how to do it.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
Putting this Assamese style Bilahir Tok needs just a handful of simple ingredients.
- Mustard oil: 1 tbsp
- Bay leaf: 1
- Dry red chilies: 2
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Nigella seeds: ½ tsp
- Fenugreek seeds: ½ tsp
- Tomatoes (roughly chopped): 2 cups
- Salt: ½ tablespoon or as per taste
- Red chili powder: 2 tsp
- Powdered sugar: 2 tbsp
How to Make the Assamese Style Bilahir Tok
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you’ll need to do.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the bay leaf, dry red chilies, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, and fenugreek seeds. Saute.
Add the tomatoes next and saute. Let them cook for 5 minutes or until they start turning mushy.
Next, add the red chili powder and salt. Mix well.
Add in the powdered sugar next and mix well.
Serve hot as a delicious tomato side to your meals.
Frequently Asked Questions
While this recipe is the classic, authentic version of the Bilahir Tok, you can also add in some more ingredients and experiment a bit with the recipe.
For instance, if you want to bulk up the chutney, you can add some soaked cashews and raisins to it. If you’re not too sure about using those, a chopped up onion should do the trick too! 
You could use canned tomatoes to cut down the prep time for the recipe, but remember that since canned tomatoes are more juicy and have a lot more liquid, you’ll need to cook the chutney for a longer time until it reaches the right consistency, and the oil separates. 
The Bilahir Tok, just like any other chutney or condiment, stays fresh for 3-5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also use a glass container to store it, and layer it with some oil on the top to increase its shelf life. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Assamese Style Bilahir Tok
Ready to give this flavorful and delicious Indian chutney a try? Take note of these little tips and tricks before you do.
- The mustard oil is what lends the chutney that rustic, earthy flavor. If you don’t have mustard oil, you can use any other neutral flavored cooking oil of your choice.
- If you want to balance out the spiciness and tanginess of this chutney, you can also add some jaggery into the mix.
- Conversely, to enhance the tanginess, you can squeeze some lemon juice towards the end, or add some tamarind juice or pulp.
- The tomatoes are a key ingredient of this recipe, so make sure you choose the best quality, ripe and juicy tomatoes, ideally ones that are nice and red.
- Based on your taste preference, you can use Kashmiri red chili powder (which has a milder flavor) or spicy red chili powder.
- To enhance the color of the chutney, you can also add a dash of turmeric powder to it.
- If you don’t have the whole spices that the recipe calls for, you can substitute with a bit of panch phoran masala.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This tangy Bilahir Tok can be paired with any of your Indian mains- curries, rotis and parathas. You can also serve it as an accompaniment to your pulaos and rice dishes, or team it up with your fried snacks like pakoras- it is super versatile that way.
If you enjoyed trying out this chutney, and are looking for some more simple and flavorful Indian recipes to try your hands at, here are a few good ones.
📖 Recipe
Assamese Style Bilahir Tok
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Mustard oil
- 1 pc Bay leaf
- 2 pcs Dry red chilies
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon Nigella seeds
- ½ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
- 2 cups Tomatoes , (roughly chopped)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 2 tablespoon Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the bay leaf, dry red chilies, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, and fenugreek seeds. Saute.
- Add the tomatoes next and saute. Let them cook for 5 minutes or until they start turning mushy.
- Next, add the red chili powder and salt. Mix well.
- Add in the powdered sugar next and mix well.
- Serve hot as a delicious tomato side to your meals.
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