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Sambar-A Tried and Tested Recipe

Aanchal Gupta
Print Recipe
Course Main course/Breakfast
Cuisine South Indian/Indian

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Cup Arhar/Toor Dal
  • 1/3 cup Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp Haldi/Turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 tbsp Ghee/Oil Use oil for Vegan option
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2-3 Tomatoes chopped
  • 1 small zucchini chopped(Can Use Lauki/Ghiya/Bottlegourd too)
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrots
  • 4-5 Green Chilies optional
  • 2-3 Dry Red Chilies
  • 1 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds/Rai
  • 1 1/2 tsp Urad Dal
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds/jeera
  • 12-15 curry leaves
  • 3 tsp Sambar Powder
  • 1 tsp Coriander Powder
  • Pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
  • 3 cups water
  • Salt as per taste
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • Juice of 1 lemon/lime May use tamarind
  • Chopped Cilantro/Coriander/dhania for Garnishing
  • 1 tsp Minced Ginger

Instructions
 

To Boil the Dal

  • Take First five ingredients and put in a pressure cooker and give 8-10 whistles,we want the dal mushy and overcooked,whisk it if needed.(You can use a pot or crockpot if you don't have a pressure cooker).

For Sambar

  • In a pan or Pressure cooker add Ghee and heat it up
  • Add Mustard seeds/rai, Cumin/Jeera and Urad Dal.
  • When the mustard seeds crackle and the Urad dal starts turning golden,add green and Red chilies,curry leaves,Hing and stir.
  • Add chopped onions and cook till pink.
  • Add chopped carrots,tomatoes,zucchini and Coriander and sambar powder and stir well.
  • Add the vegetable mix to the boiled Dal along with 3 cups of water and cook together till the flavors blend in. I gave one whistle in my pressure cooker.
  • Let pressure release normally from the pressure cooker and add sugar,lemon juice,minced ginger and top with chopped cilantro.

Notes

I used Zucchini,but you can use lauki/Ghiya. I used lemon juice in the end, but you can replace with tamarind/pulp/paste. Its not easily available where I live. Tamarind will make the sambar a bit dark in color. Since Arhar/Toor dal can cause gas, I use Ginger in the end as it makes it easily digestible and gives a very nice flavor.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!