Sambar-Kerala style

INGREDIENTS:

• 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.

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