- Yield: Serves 4
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Sambhar Recipe
Sambhar is the most common accompaniment for all the south Indian dishes like dosa, vada, idli or uttapam. If you prepare fresh sambhar masala at home, it will have that unmatched fresh aroma and will taste awesome.
Ingredients
- Split pigeon peas (Toor Dal) - 1 Cup
- Dry Tamarind - 1 x 1 inch piece or 1/2 tsp readymade tamarind pulp
- Choice of vegetables - To Taste (about 1/2 cup in all) - carrots, bottle gourd, okra, snake gourd, drumsticks
- Oil - 4 tsp
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida (Hing) - 1/4 tsp
- Curry Leaves - 4-5
- Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
- Onion - 1 small, finely chopped or vertically cut into long slices
- Sambhar Masala - 3 tsp
Instructions
- Wash 1 cup toor dal and add 2 cups water. Pressure cook for 3 whistles and reduce heat for 5 minutes. Then turn off the gas. Remove the dal after the pressure is released and whisk it with a whisker.
- Soak 1"x 1" piece of dry tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water. You can also use ready made concentrated tamarind pulp. In that case, omit this step.
- Heat oil in a vessel and add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add asfoetida (hing), turmeric powder, curry leaves, and onion. Stir fry till the onion becomes translucent.
- Add about 1 & 1/2 cups of water and add salt, sambhar masala, and all the cut vegetables. Also squeeze out all the pulp from soaked tamarind (or add the readymade tamarind pulp, if using it) and add to the water.
- Allow the water to boil and keep it boiling for 5 minutes to release all the spice flavors and to allow the vegetables to get cooked.
- Now add the whisked toor dal and add more water if needed to get the desired consistency.
- Squeeze out all the juice from the soaked tamarind and add to the dal. If using the tamarind pulp, add 1/2 tsp of it. Add Sambhar Masala. Mix well and bring to boil on a medium flame. When it starts boiling, simmer for 3-4 minutes and then turn off the gas.
- Serve hot with Idli, Dosa, Medu Wada, or Uttappa.
