Sambar

One dish we make every week, have with dosa, idly and rice, is super healthy and extremely tasty is our very own humble sambar! A staple in most south Indian households, sambar is something every one loves. So many varieties from different states and so many many vegetables that you can add! Today, I am sharing the recipe for a traditional Tamil Nadu style sambar with drumsticks and small onion. I have used i-FLO sambar powder. The taste was just amazing- perfect spice level and aroma. The dals and vegetables make sambar one of the healthiest dishes. A plethora of nutrients and taste, this is perfect with crispy dosa, soft idlies or hot rice, serve with a side of vegetable fry or subzi to make it better. Throw in some appalam, rasam, poriyal and payasam to have a complete south Indian meal!

Preparation time: 10 minutes| Cooking time: 30 minutes

Course: Main| Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients:

Toor dal- ½ cup

Water- 1 ½ cup (to cook dal) + 2 cups (for making sambar)

Onion shallots- 10 to 12

Tomato- 1 (big)

Drumstick- 2 to 3 (cut into 3inch pieces)

Sambar powder- 2 tblsp

Tamarind- a small lemon size (soak in ¼ th cup water and extract the juice)

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 tblsp

Mustard seeds- ½ tsp

Urad dal- ½ tsp

Cumin seeds- ¼ tsp

Hing- a large pinch

Curry leaves- a few

Red chilies- 1 to 2

Method:

1.      Wash, clean and pressure cook the toor dal with 1 ½ cups water and ½ tsp of turmeric powder for 3 to 4 whistles. Once pressure releases, slightly mash the dal with a ladle and keep aside until use.

2.      Heat oil in a large vessel. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, hing, red chilies and curry leaves.

3.      When the mustard seeds splutter, add the onion shallots. Fry well until pink in colour.

4.      Now add the tomatoes and fry until they shrink.

5.      Now add the drumstick and stir well.

6.      Add the sambar powder and salt. Mix everything well.

7.      Add around 2 cups of water and let it boil. When it starts boiling, close with a lid and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes or until the drumsticks are cooked well.

8.      Once drumsticks are cooked, add the cooked and mashed dal and let it boil for 5 minutes, on low medium flame.

9.      Now add the tamarind extract and adjust the consistency by adding water if necessary. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes and switch off the flame.

Notes:

·        The consistency of sambar is purely your choice. So, increase or decrease water quantity accordingly.

·        The spice level depends on the sambar powder you use. So, adjust accordingly.

·        The dal should be properly cooked and mashed for the texture of sambar to be good.

·        You can use any vegetable of your choice.

·        Soak the tamarind in hot water. It makes it easy to extract the juice from the tamarind.

·        Don’t forget to use hing (asafetida) while tempering. It gives a nice aroma to the sambar.  

Step by step pictures

 wash and clean toor dal

add it to a pressure cooker.

add turmeric powder and water and 

pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles

after pressure releases, mash and keep aside

 heat oil in a large vessel.

add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds

red chili, hing and curry leaves.

when it splutters, add the onion shallots.

fry till pink in colour.

 add the chopped tomato.

fry till it shrinks.

 add the drumstick pieces.

fry well

add sambar powder and salt

fry well 

add around 2 cups of water and let it boil 

close with a lid and cook on low medium flame

 until the drumsticks are cooked well

now add the cooked and mashed dal

let it boil for around 5 minutes  

add the tamarind extract

adjust the consistency of sambar

by adding water if necessary

let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes and

 switch off flame.

serve it with hot rice or even idly or dosa.