Sambar

A delicious sambar, goes well with Idli / Dosa / Rice / Variety rice …

Ingredients

For  the dal :

1/2 cup ( 100 g ) tur dal (Indian standard measuring cup of 100 ml / 4 oz capacity)

300 ml water

1 teaspoon oil

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Method

For  the Dal:

Wash and clean tur dal.

In a steel bowl, mix tur dal, water, oil and turmeric powder. Pressure cook tur dal along with water, turmeric powder, oil, for 20 minutes. Water level should be 1 - inch above dal  ( reduce heat after 2nd whistle and cook cook on a low heat for 15 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to cool naturally.

Open the lid. Gently mash cooked dal. It should be smooth in consistency.

Other ingredients for sambar:

1 teaspoon oil

10 sambar onions (small onion / shallots / chuvannulli in Malayalam / Piyyavu in Konkani / sambar venkayam in Tamil ) or 1 big onion (wash and cut into cubes)

5 okra (bhindi / vendakka), cut into 1/2 - inch pieces

1 small baingan (vazhuthananga / egg plant), cut into 1/2 - inch pieces

1 big size tomato or 2 small tomatoes, cut into cubes

2 cups water

3/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste)

1 tablespoon tamarind juice (or 1 teaspoon thick tamarind paste)

2 1/4 teaspoon 777 brand Madras Sambar Powder/ Eastern / Melam / MTR Sambar powder / homemade sambar powder ( 21/4 to 2 1/2 teaspoon homemade sambar powder if using ) - Dilute sambar powder in 2 tablespoon water and keep aside.

For the sambar :

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan on medium heat.  Add small onion or normal onion and fry on a low heat until light pink color.

Add cubed okra, baingan and tomato. Fry on a low heat for 5 minutes.

Add water up to the level of vegetables.

Add tamarind juice or paste and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well.

Cover with lid and cook on a medium heat for 10 - 12 minutes until vegetables half done.

Now add smooth dal and diluted sambar powder and boil again for 10 - 12 minutes on a low heat to medium heat till done. You can find a slight reduction in the quantity of the sambar and nice aroma of sambar powder / sambar thickens (Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon hing if required).

For the seasoning :

2 teaspoon cooking oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 spring curry leaves (6 nos)

1 red chilli, halved

1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

For seasoning :

Heat oil in a pan . Add mustard seeds. When they start crackle, add curry leaves and halved red chilli. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes and pour this seasoning over sambar.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional). Serve with Idli / Dosa / Pongal / Rice ....

Here's the recipe of Homemade Sambar Powder