Sambar for Idli/Dosa/Vada/Rice

Sambar

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup Toor/Arhar Dal (pigeon Pea)

Assorted vegetables cut into 1” pcs (Onions, Drumsticks, brinjal, red pumpkin, bottle gourd, lady’s finger, carrots and tomatoes)

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp Sambar Powder (MTR brand preferred)

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp dry coconut powder

1 small cup of tamarind extract (diluted)

2 green chillies slit

Salt to taste

2 sprigs of curry leaves

1 tbsp of fresh chopped coriander

Tempering:

2 tsp oil

2 tsp ghee/clarified butter

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp jeera/cumin

¼ tsp roasted fenugreek powder (you may use 8-10 fenugreek seeds as well)

¼ tsp asafoetida

2 dry whole red chillies

Method:

1. Take a deep pot and add 1 tbsp oil and add hard vegetables first (lady’s finger, red pumpkin and tomatoes to be added later).
2. Add the dry powders (sambar powder, chilli powder, coconut powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt) and let it coat the vegetables along with the oil for 1 min.
3. Add water to cover the vegetables, cover and let it cook.
4. While the vegetables are cooking; pressure cook the dal and soak tamarind for the extract.
5. After the hard vegetables are 80% cooked add the soft vegetables along with green chillies, curry leaves and half of coriander, cover again let them cook.
6. When all the vegetables are done add the cooked dal, tamarind extract and cover and cook for another 5 mins.
7. For tempering the sambar, heat oil and ghee together and add all the ingredients. After they splutter add it to the sambar and cover it immediately so that all the flavours are absorbed well.
8. Let is cook for 1 min and then garnish with the remaining fresh coriander and serve with Idli, Dosa, Vada and even with steamed rice and papad.

Co-zy Tips:

1. Use the coriander stalks also as it gives very good flavour.
2. If you are using red pumpkin do not peel the skin else it will get mashed.
3. If you do not have different vegetables you can make it with just onion and tomatoes alone.
4. This recipe can be with just one vegetable as well to give it that significant flavour like Drumstick Sambar, Bottle gourd Sambar, Onion Sambar, etc.
5. But more the vegetables better the taste and more nutritious.
6. This is my own version of Sambar and trust me it tastes so good as all the vegetables cook together adding lots of flavours to the sambar.
7. DO NOT COOK THE VEGETABLES IN COOKER OR MICROWAVE.