Mom's Recipies

Sambar is made with yellow lentil called Tuvar dal(toor dal) and vegetables. You can use any vegetables of your choice such as onions, potatoes, tomatoes, brinjals, beans, cabbage, knolkol, raddish ,drumstick,cluster beans,carrot etc. you can use any one or a mix of these vegetables. I am using onions and tomatoes in this recipe.

Ingredients For Sambar Powder:-

• Coriander seeds - 1 table spoon
• Chana dal – 1 tea spoon
• Urad dal – ½ tea spoon
• Cumin seeds – 1 tea spoon
• Asafetida – ¼ tea spoon
• Red chillis - 2 to 4, according to taste
• Black pepper - 1/4 tea spoon
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tea spoon
• Methi(fenugreek) seeds – ¼ tea spoon

• Dry Roast the sambar powder ingredients on low flame. Grind to fine powder.
• The Sambar Powder can be made in large quantities and stored for 6 months or more.

Ingredients for Sambar:

• Toor dal – 1 small cup
• Tamarind – a lime sized ball
• Onions 2 medium sized, chopped
• Tomatoes – 2 medium sized, chopped
• Curry leaves – a sprig.
• Green Chilies -2
• Jaggery /Sugar - 1 tsp
  
• Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp chopped.
• Salt – 1 tsp or to taste.
• Water – 3-4 cups.

Ingredients for seasoning:

• Oil/ghee – 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Asafoetida – a pinch
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp
  
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Preparation:

• Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes. Get pulp using 1 cup of water.

Method:

1. Cook Toor dal in 2 cups of water till it is soft.
2. In a deep pan, Heat oil.
3. Add mustard seeds ,Fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds. When they stop crackling, add asafoetida and turmeric powder, curry leaves, chopped onions ,green chillies.
4. Fry for 5 minutes till onion turn gold colour. Add tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add 1 cup water. Add sambar powder. Boil.
6. Mash the cooked dal. Add to the mixture.
7. Boil for 5 minutes. Add the tamarind pulp, salt, crumbled Jaggery/Sugar. Stir. Add more water if needed. Boil for 5-10 minutes.
8. Add chopped coriander leaves.

Sambar is ready to serve with dosa, Idli , Rice.