Sambhar

sambhar is the comfort & simple dish that can be cooked with the homemade sambhar powder & with all the vegetables available seasonally. Vegetables (one or a combination of two or more) typically & frequently used to make sambhar are ladies’ finger, drumsticks, eggplant, pumpkin, ash gourd, shallots, carrots & many. The taste of the Sambhar would vary with the vegetables used to make it while the preparation remains the same.

I believe most of the bloggers vote for the homemade powders than the store bought ones.To prepare them at home is ofcourse an extra task for most of you but definitely hygienic, more aromatic, un adulterated and has a longer shelf life. Idlis or dosas are never quite complete without the Sambhar.

Ingredients :

1. 1/2 cup toor dal
2. 1 cup vegetables (your option)
3. 1 medium sized onion
4. 1 riped tomato
5. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
6. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Turmeric juice - 1 tbsp
8. Sambar powder - 2 tsp
9. Coconut powder - 1 tbsp ( I use dessicated coconut)
10. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
11. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
12. Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
13. Vadagam - 1 tsp
14. Corrainder leaves
15. Salt to taste
16. Oil - 1 tbsp
17. Ghee - 1 tsp

Method :

• Cook the toor dal in cooker.Heat oil in the heavy bottomed pan, add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, urad dal & vadagam and saute for 2 min.


• Add the chopped onions & curry leaves and brown lightly.


• Add the tomatoe, vegetables & tamarind extract and fry till vegetables are 3/4th cooked.


• Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder,sambar powder to the sambhar. Allow this to boil for 5 minutes.


• Add the dal, coconut & salt to taste. cook for another 5 min.


• Finally add a tsp of ghee & remove from the heat.

Garnish with corriander leaves.

Note :
For drumstick sambar, Combine both toor dal & drumstick together in the cooker & cook.