Sambar

Sambar...a lentil-based stew mixed with vegetable and tamarind juice. This is a stew very famous in the south of India. Goes very well with idli, dosa, rice or any south Indian delicacy. I personally like it hot with rice. 

Now the question, does my daughter like it? She liked it as a small kid when she was 5-7 years old. Now her taste has changed. As a 10 year old, she does not like 'anything Daal'....😆- This is in her words. But this stew is very very healthy so she finds this in my menu plan at least once a week. 

Ingredients:

- Toor Dal - 1/2 cup

- Tomato - 1

- Garlic - 3-4

- Ginger paste - 1 tsp

- Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch

- Salt - 1.5 tsp

- Sugar / jaggery - 1 tsp

- Curry leaves - a bunch

- Pepper corns - 5-6 

- Oil - 2 tbsp

- Sambar Masala - 3 tbsp

- Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

- Veggies of your choice (I have used pumpkin, okra, raddish and drumstick)

- Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

- Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

- Tamarind pulp - 2 tbsp (This can be easily prepared by soaking tamarind in hot water)

 Method:

- Wash Toor dal and throw away the water. Wash till the water is clear.

- Put dal in a pressure cooker, add garlic, ginger, tomatoes (cubed/halved), a pinch of salt, turmeric.

Cook in low flame. Switch the flame off after 2 whistles. Do not open the lid of the cooker.

- In a wok add oil

- When hot add pepper corns, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing and let it splutter.

- Then add all the veggies and let it cook, stir occassionally.

- In 5-7 minutes add the sambar powder and a little water (this is to prevent the masala from burning).

- When veggies are cooked, add dal from pressure cooker into the wok and mix well.

- Add salt and jaggery and the tamarind pulp.

- Let is come to a boil. Add coriander leaves and serve hot with rice, idli or dosa.