Sambar
Ingredients
3/4 cup toor dhal
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup shallots -- peeled *
1 medium potato -- peeled & diced
1 tomato -- diced
4 tbsp tamarind paste -- ** see
1 note
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sambar powder -- * see
1 recipe
1/2 tsp whole black mustard
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1 red dried chillies --
1 crushed
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
Preparation
* I use one medium sized onion peeled and chopped because I don't like
shallots.
** if you can get tamarind use it and soak a fistfull in water for
half hour and then squeeze the "juice" out and discard the waste and
use the juice in the sambar.
Soak toor dhal in 4 cups water for one hour in a heavy-based pot.
During this time chop the onions (if you use instead of shallots),
potato and tomato (green beans and carrots may also be added).
Add the turmeric powder to the soaking dhal and place on stove. Bring
to boil, lower heat to keep the dhal simmering. Close pot and allow
dhal to cook till tender. Soaking dhal before cooking consideraby
lowers the cooking time which is about 30-45 minutes. Stir a few time
to keep dhal from sticking at the bottom.
While dhal is cooking lightly fry the onions or shallots in 2.5 tab.
vegetable oil. Do not allow the onion/shallots to brown. When dhal has
cooked add some more water to bring the water level up to 4-5 cups
again (use your judgement here because I cannot be more precise!).
Now add the potatoes, tomato, sauted onions/shallots, and any other
vegetables to want to put in. Next add the tamarind paste (or
tamarind "juice"), and sambar powder. Stir and bring to a simmer.
Cover and allow the cook until vegetables are tender (about 15
minutes) and keep stirring occassionally.
Heat the remaining 1/2 tab. oil and add the mustard, cumin, coriander
seeds and the crushed red chillie to the hot oil. As soon as the
mustard seeds begin to pop stir the whole thing once and add to the
cooking sambar. Finally add the cilantro leaves and cook for another
5 minutes and remove from stove.
The consistency should be like a thin soup and the sambar powder
should not appear like dirt sticking to the veggies (you will see
this happen initially). You may also add some green chillies if you
like to add more "zip" to the sambar. If so add it with the rest of
the veggies.
Sambar can be eaten with plain cooked rice, idlies (I know I owe you
all this recipe!) or dhosas. Sambar is an integral part of South
Indian cooking. It is made every day. As I mentioned in San Antonio a
visiting naturalist from the Smithsonian Institute described a South
Indian meal thus: mountain of rice and river of sambar!
Recipe By : Ramesh
Servings: 1
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