Sambar

Sambar is one of the most loved dishes in South Indian cuisine. It accompanies almost every meal.Variates of sambar can be made and each state in the south is famous for there own sambars.Like you have Madras sambar, Mysore sambar,Andra sambar,kerala sambar and the normal ones like onion sambar,arachuvitta sambar,spinach sambar,tomato sambar ,ladies finger sambar and so on.
Sambar can be made with or without vegetable.You can use vegetables like drumstick,brinjal,carrot,beans,ladies finger and so on.

Today we are going to see a simple sambar,made using redimade sambar powder.

INGREDIENTS:

Toor Dal -1cup
Tamarind -lime sized ball
Turmeric powder -1/2tsp
Sambar powder -2 heaped tsps
oil -3spoons
Onions -1 big or 10 small onions
Tomato -1
Asefotida -1/4tsp
mustard -1tsp
coriander seeds -1tsp
garlic -5-6 cloves
dried red chillies -2
brinjal/drumstick -200g
salt -as per taste
Jagree -optional
curry leaves -1string
coriander leaves -half a cup.

DIRECTIONS :

* Soak tamarind in 1cup of water for 20 minutes and extract the pulp.
* cut onions,tomato,vegetable,garlic and keep it aside
* Cook 1cup of dal by adding two glasses of water and a pinch of turmeric powder with few drops of oil in a pressure cooker up to 4 whistles.Can also be microwaved for 10mins.
*place a heavy bottomed pan on the stove and add oil.Once oil is hot add mustard,jeera,garlic asefotida ,curry leaves and the add onions and fry for a minute now add tomato and the vegetables and cook it for a minute when the raw flavor of tomato leaves add sambar powder and stir ,now add two cups of water and allow it to boil for few minutes
* Now add four spoons of tamarind pulp to the boiling sambar and allow it to cook till the raw flavor of the tamirid is gone.you can add tamarind if its not sufficient.
*add the cooked dal and boil the sambar till its becomes thick.
*finally add chopped cilantro(coriander leaves) and off the stove.

this sambar can be served with rice,Idly,dosa etc.