SAMBAR

SAMBAR

Ingredients

arhar dal           1 cup
pumpkin            1/2 cup
brinjal.                1/2 cup
lauki.                   1/2 cup
onion.                  1-2
tomato                 1-2
mustard seed      1 tsp
curry leaves          6-7
hing.                      2 pinch
dry red chilli          1-2
tamarind               1/2 cup
sambar powder   3 tbsp
chilli powder          1-2 tsp
turmeric powder    2 tsp
grated coconut      1/4 cup
jaggery                   1 tsp
salt                          to taste

Method

1. Wash the arher dal thoroughly and drain.Soak the dal for 1-2 hours in 1-2 cup of water.
2. Cook this dal in a pressure cooker with salt ,turmeric powder,chilli powder and  2 cups of water for 3 whistle on low flame.
3. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.
4. Mash the dal till it is smooth with spoon.
5. Finely cut the vegetables pumpkin,brinjal,lauki,onion,tomato and mix with dal and pressure cook for 1-2 whistle on low flame.
6. Soak tamarind in 1 cup water for 1/2 an hour.Once the tamarind get soft,mash it and stain it and extract the pulp.
7. In a mixer grinder,blend coconut,jaggery,sambar powder with little water.
8. Add this mixture and tamarind pulp to the boiled dal and vegetables.
9. Add 2-3 cups of water in dal and cook on low flame.
10. For making tadka,in a pan,heat oil. Once the oil is hot,add mustard seed,curry leaves,hing and dry red chilli.
11. Sauté on a low flame for few seconds.
12. Add this tadka to the dal and cook the sambar for 5-10 minutes on low flame.
13. Serve the hot sambar with idli or dosa.