Sambar

 

This is a typical  accompaniment for rice  in every south indian house.Morning if you are walking along the streets for a  morning walk or reaching to bus stop for office or for any other reason, you can smell the aroma of boiling sambar from every house you pass by.You can make quite some variations with a basic sambar  recipe.

Ingredients

Toor dhal                 1/3 cup
Water for dhal          1 cup
turmeric powder       1/2 tsp
Asafoetida                1/2 tsp
Sambar powder        1 1/4 tsp
Tamarind                   gooseberry size( 1 tbsp tightly packed)
Radish                       1 medium size(sliced to disks of 1/4 inch thickness)
Sesame Oil
Mustard seeds           1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds        1/8 tsp
Salt
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves

Method

Pressure cook dhal with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and a cup of water for 2 to 3 whistles.Mash and keep aside.

Soak tamarind in warm water(1/4 cup) for 15 minutes. Then extract juice from it approximately 1/4 cup.

Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard and fenugreek seeds.Once  mustard  crackles add radish slices along with 1/4 tsp turmeric,1/4 cup water, asafoetida and 1/4 tsp salt.

Cover and cook until radish is 80% cooked.

Add tamarind extract and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until the raw smell from tamarind goes away.

In a small cup mix sambar powder with a tbsp of water to a smooth paste and add it to the tamarind mixture.

Cook for another 5 minutes.

Add mashed dhal along with curry leaves and coriander leaves and adjust salt to your taste.

Once you see bubbles forming on top turn off the heat.

Serve it hot with rice and vegetable of your choice.

Note

Replace radish with ladies finger and drumstick for variation.

Capsicum and brinjal can also be added to bring more flavour to sambar.