Udipi Sambar

Ingredients:

• Red gram or thur dhal - 1/2 cup (cook with a pinch of turmeric and a tsp of castor oil to get a well-cooked dhal)
• Vegetables of your choice - 1/4 kg diced (Drumsticks/Brinjal/Chow chow/Yam)
• Shallots/Sambar onions - 6-10 (peel but do not chop)
• Ripe tomato - 1 (diced to large pieces)
• Green chilies (slit) - 2
• Tamarind pulp - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Coriander leaves (chopped) - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chilies - 2 nos
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Groundnut oil - 3 tsp

Dry roast and grind to a fine paste:

• Black gram/Urad dhal- 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 3 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chilies - 5
• Grated coconut - 1 cup

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Method of Preparation:

1)    Heat oil in a vessel.
2)    Add asafoetida followed by shallots, green chilies and half the curry leaves. Sauté until the onions become a little transparent and glossy.
3)    Add the vegetables of your choice and turmeric powder.
4)    Cook covered until the vegetables are cooked.
:- If not adding any veggies, then add more onions.
5)    Add the tamarind pulp and cook covered for 5 mins.
6)    Add the coconut paste, jaggery and salt to taste. Add more water if necessary.
7)    Once the mixture comes to a boil add the cooked dhal and mix well. Check for salt.
:- The sambar should not be too thick nor too watery.
8)    When the sambar just begins to boil, switch off the stove.
:- Make sure you don’t boil the sambar after adding the thur dhal coz the dhal will lose its soft texture.
9)    Heat a tsp of oil in a small wok.
10) Add the mustard seeds and once they pop, add the remaining curry leaves and the dry red chilies.
11) Pour this over the sambar.
12) Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
:- Serve hot with idli, dosa or plain rice.