Sambar

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 lime sized Tamarind ball
• 1 cup Toor Dal (or lentils)
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 2 teaspoons oil
• Salt according to your taste
• 5 green chillies (or to taste)
• 7 to 8 Curry Leaves
• 1 medium size onion (shallots are preferable)
• Water - 4-5 cups
• Chopped Coriander leaves
• Tomatoes - 2 medium sized, chopped
• Chilly powder according to your taste
• Vegetables of your choice like green beans, drum stick, chopped carrot
•  2 tablespoons sambar powder
• Chopped ginger
•  2 sliced garlic pieces

Ingredients for seasoning:

• Urad dal – 1 tsp
• Dried Red chillies – 3
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1 pinch
• 3 to 4 fenugreek seeds

Method:

1. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup water for 20 minutes. Squeeze it out, adding water little by little to prepare 1 cup of juice.
2. Wash and clean the dal.
3. Cook Toor dal in 2 cups of water till it is soft.  You can use a pressure cooker for cooking the dal.
4. Mash the cooked dal.
5. Chop green chillies, tomato, vegetables of your choice (drum stick, green beans, carrot) and onion.
6. Take a pan and heat the oil on a medium high flame. Now add all the seasoning ingredients to the pan.
7. When the mustard seeds begin spluttering, add green chillies, garlic pieces, curry leaves, ginger and onions to the pan. Cook until the onions turn golden brown in colour.
8. Now add chopped tomatoes, vegetables of your choice (drum stick, green beans, carrot) to the pan. Add 3 cups of water to the pan.
9. Cook until the vegetables loose their rawness.
10. Now add mashed dal, turmeric, salt, chilly powder, tamarind juice, Sambar powder to the pan. Add more water if needed.
11. Cook for atleast 6 to 7 mins.
12. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Your delicious Sambar is ready.