Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Sambar-Kerala style

SambarINGREDIENTS:
  • Vegetables - cut into bite sized pieces - 3 cups ( 1 potato,1 carrot,1/2 plantain,1 small brinjal,4 okra,2 tomatoes ,5 beans,1/4 cucumber, 1/4 snake gourd ,and a few bottlegourd pieces)
The vegetables mostly added to Sambar:
  1. Plantain
  2. Potato
  3. Yam
  4. Snake gourd
  5. Carrot
  6. DrumSticks
  7. Okra/Lady’s Finger
  8. Beans
  9. Cucumber
  10. Bottle gourd
  11. Ash Gourd
  12. Ivy Gourd(Kovakka)
  13. Tomato
  14. Brinjal/Eggplant
(If you don’t have all these vegetables, no need to worry.The combination and choice of vegetables is purely according to your taste).
  • Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
  • Sliced Onion - 1/2
  • Green chillies slit - 2
  • Tamarind - gooseberry sized ball (optional)
  • Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tsp
  • Asafoetida(Kaayam) – 1/4 tsp
  • Garlic cloves - 3 nos
  • Ghee/Oil to add with dal – 1/2 tsp (Optional)
  • Salt - to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR SAMBAR POWDER:
(I don’t use any Sambar Masala. I used to mix all the following powders and prepare my own sambar masala).
  • Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
  • Coriander POwder – 2 tsp
  • Cumin powder -1/4 tsp(Optional)
  • Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Fenugreek powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
INGREDIENTS FOR SEASONING:
  • Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Red chillies – 3 nos
  • Curry Leaves – a sprig
  • Oil – 1 tsp
METHOD:
  • Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water for sometime,squeeze and take the extract from it.Keep aside.
  • Cook the dal in a pressure cooker,adding required water,salt,1/2 tsp of ghee/oil,sliced onion, Garlic cloves and green chillies.
  • When the dal is done ,remove the lid and add in the tamarind juice and asafoetida ,stir and simmer for some more time ,so that the dal is mashed well.
  • Now add in the cut vegetables and cook till they are done adding water if needed.
  • Add salt and mix well.(No need to pressure cook the vegetables it can be over cooked sometimes)
  • Mix in the sambar powder and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Check for salt and add if needed.If you want, you can mash the vegetables well with dal.  
  • Add chopped coriander leaves and simmer for 2 more minutes.
  • Switch off the stove and close the vessel with lid and leave it for sometime.
  • Heat oil in a small pan and allow mustard seeds to splutter in it.
  • Add red chillies and curry leaves and fry for a minute.
  • Now add this seasoning to the sambar,mix well.
  • Serve Sambar hot with Idli,Dosa,vada or steamed rice.
Sambar Comments