Sambar
Sambar is a south Indian lentil based vegetable curry. It is hot and spicy but can be toned down to your taste by reducing the sambar powder or chilli powder. If sambar powder is not available it can be replaced with 50% coriander (dhaniya) powder, 25% cumin powder and 25% chilli powder. Sambar powder actually has many more spices but the basic flavor will be quite authentic even with the spices given above. I use my grandmother Akkamma’s Sambar powder recipe but any commercial sambar powder can be used. Sambar is served with rice, idli, dosa, vada and various other south Indian tiffins and meals.
- 1 cup (200grams) Tovar dhal (split lentils)
- 2 cups chopped vegetables of your choice
- 2 medium tomatoes (160 grams)
- 1 large onion (120 grams)
- 1 tbsp tamarind extract
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp sambar powder (25 grams)
- salt to taste
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- pinch asofetidia (hing)
- 1 tsp oil
- Wash and cook the Tovar dhal in a pressure cooker with ½ teaspoon turmeric powder until soft.
- Chop the onions and tomatoes.
- Cool and mash the cooked dhal. Add chopped vegetables including chopped onion and tomatoes, sambar powder, salt and tamarind extract and a cup of water.
- Cook again in the pressure cooker for a short while until the vegetables are soft. Time of cooking will vary depending on the vegetables that are used for the sambar.
- Once it is done, open the pressure cooker. Taste and adjust the salt, adding more if necessary.
- Heat oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and asofetidia (hing). When the seasonings splutter and the aroma is released, pour it into the cooked sambar.
A mix of several vegetables or one single vegetable can be used for sambar. Beans, carrots, radish, kohl rabi, bottle gourd, drumstick, aubergine ( brinjal) or okra ( bhindi) are the most commonly used vegetables. If drumstick or okra (bhindi) are used, they need to be added at the end and cooked briefly or they will disintegrate.