Sambar

Method

Making Tamarind Pulp

Step 1

Soak 1 tablespoon tamarind in ⅓ cup hot water for 20 to 30 minutes

Step 2

Once the tamarind gets soft, then squeeze the tamarind in the water itself. Discard the strained tamarind and keep the tamarind pulp aside.

Cooking Dal

Step 1

Rinse ½ cup dal (100 grams) a couple of times in water.

Step 2

Drain all the water and add the dal in a 2 litre pressure cooker. Also add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.

Step 3

Add 1.5 to 1.75 cups of water and mix. Cover and pressure cook dal for 7 to 8 whistles or 10 to 12 minutes on medium flame

Step 4

When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid and check the dal. The dal should be completely cooked and mushy.

Cooking Vegetables

Step 1

When the dal is pressure cooking – rinse, peel and chop the vegetables.

Step 2

Take 1 to 1.5 cups chopped vegetables in a pan or pot. Also add 6 to 7 pearl onions or 1 small to medium onion (thickly sliced) and 1 small to medium tomato (quartered).

Step 3

Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder and salt as per taste. Adding red chili powder is optional and can be skipped.

Step 4

Add 1.5 to 2 cups of water and stir.

Step 5

Keep the pan on a stove top and begin to cook vegetables on a medium-low to medium flame. In between do check when the vegetables are cooking.

Step 6

Cook till the vegetables are almost done. Ensure that you don’t over cook the vegetables.

Step 7

Making Sambar

Step 8

Once the vegetables are almost cooked, then add the tamarind pulp and 1 to 2 veg stock cubes. mix well.

Step 9

Add the mashed dal. mix again very well.

Step 10

Simmer on a medium-low flame till it comes to a boil.

Step 11

You will see a frothy layer on top when the sambar begins boiling. At this step switch off the flame. Cover and keep aside.

Tempering For Sambar

Step 1

In a small pan or tadka pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add ½ tsp mustard seeds.

Step 2

Let the mustard seeds crackle.

Step 3

Then add 1 to 2 dry red chillies (halved and seeds removed).

Step 4

Immediately add 10 to 12 curry leaves,.

Step 5

Fry them till the red chilies change color and curry leaves become crisp.

Step 6

Immediately add this tempering mixture in the hot sambar.

Step 7

Cover the pan with its lid for 4 to 5 minutes, so that the aroma and flavors from the tempering mixture gets infused with the sambar.