Sambar

Every family will have their recipe of sambar and people will usually swear that theirs is the perfect one. The method and ingredients differ from state to state, district to district and from house to house. Kerala sambar is different from Tamil Nadu sambar which is different from Karnataka sambar. Within Kerala too, it varies with respect to the vegetables used, whether coconut is added or not.

The one that I usually make is what I have learnt from my mother in law. For me and my family, this is the perfect family 🙂 I do not like to use many vegetables in sambar. I usually make it with shallots ( Madras onion or sambar onion) and ladies finger. I also use fresh coconut and roast it and then grind it to make the sambar masala. I do not add any store bought ready made sambar powder or masala.

Ingredients:

• Tur dal 1 cup
• Shallots 12-15
• Ladies finger 8-10
• Tomato 2 small
• Turmeric powder 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Sugar 1 tsp
• Tamarind lemon size ball
• Grated coconut 3-4 tbsp
• Dried red chillies​ 5-6
• Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
• Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
• Udid dal 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds 1 tsp
• Curry leaves 2-3 sprigs
• Coriander leaves 2 sprigs
• Refined oil 1-2 tbsp

Method:

• Wash and soak the dal for an hour.
• Cook it with little salt and turmeric powder till it is soft and mushy.
• Peelthe shallots and cut the bigger ones into 2 pieces. Cut the ladies finger into 2 inch long pieces.
• Saute the shallots and ladies finger till they are slightly fried.
• Cook these two along with chopped tomato pieces, salt and turmeric powder.
• Soak the tamarind in water and squeeze out the pulp. Strain it and keep aside.
• Meanwhile to make the masala, take some oil in a kadhai and add fenugreek seeds and udid dal.
• When it becomes golden, add dried red chillies, coriander seeds, curry leaves and fry for 4-5 minutes.
• Now add the grated coconut and fry till it is golden.
• Switch off the gas and add asafoetida powder to the roasted masala and mix well.
• Grind it into a smooth paste.
• Add the tamarind pulp and the ground masala to the boiling shallots-ladies finger mixture.
• Boil till the raw smell of the ground masala goes off.
• Add the cooked dal to this mixture and simmer well.
• Check salt and add a pinch of sugar.
• Add washed coriander leaves and mix.
• To make the tempering, add little oil to a frying pan and add mustard seeds to it.
• When it splutters add dried red chillies and curry leaves to it.
• Add this to the cooked sambar and close the lid. Let all the aroma get infused into the sambar.
• Serve with rice or idli/dosa or vada or pongal.