Sambar

Sambar

Mixed Vegetable Sambar Recipe

Prep time - under 20 mins
Cook time - under 20 mins
Serves -2-3

Ingredients needed

Tur dal - 1/3 cup
Tamarind - small lemon sized ball
Onion -1 finely chopped
Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt as required ( I used 1 tbsp rock salt - use less if using table salt)

For the seasoning

Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Hing - a generous pinch
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli - 1
Curry leaves - few

Preparation

Soak dal in hot water for 20 minutes and pressure cook for 3 whistles.(refer to my detailed post on how to cook dal  if required.

Soak tamarind in hot water and extract 1 1/2 cups of tamarind juice and discard the pulp.

Vegetables - You can use any vegetables like beans, carrot, cauliflower, potato,brinjal, broad beans (avarakkai),  but do not add too many vegetables, then you will end up having more vegetables and very less sambar. So use just 1 cup of mixed vegetables.

 I used 1/2 a carrot, 1 small potato, 2 florets cauliflower, 2 broad beans and 3-4 beans.In case, if you are using cauliflower, do not pressure cook but blanch them in hot water and add to the sambar while adding dal or paruppu.

Method 

Heat a tbsp of oil, add mustard seeds,when it splutters,add hing, red chillies, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves,  finely chopped onions and saute for a few minutes.Then add tamarind water,turmeric powder,salt needed and sambar powder.Let it boil until the raw smell of the tamarind and the sambar powder goes. Approximately it will take around 10 minutes. Meant time pressure cook dal, keeping the mixed vegetables in a small container. After the raw smell of the tamarind and the sambar powder goes, add the pressure cooked vegetables to it. (See picture below) Then mash the dal well with a masher and add to the sambar along with needed water.( little less than 1/2).Simmer and bring everything to a boil, until the sambar thickens a little.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice.