Sambar
Savor the rich, tangy flavors of homemade sambar, packed with vibrant veggies and aromatic spices.
Ingredients
- 300 g toor dal
- 1.2 l water
- 300 g mixed vegetables (pumpkin, carrot and drumstick)
- 2 tomatoes
- 50 g tamarind pulp
- 2 tbsp sambar powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 8 curry leaves
- 2 dried red chilies
- 1 pinch asafoetida
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
How to make it
- Rinse the toor dal until the water runs clear. Put it in a pot with 1 l of the water and the turmeric, bring to a boil, then simmer for 20–25 minutes until the dal is soft and starts to break apart.
- Add the mixed vegetables and tomatoes, along with the remaining 200 ml water and the salt. Simmer for 12–15 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape.
- Stir in the tamarind pulp and sambar powder and simmer for 5 minutes, then mash the dal lightly with a spoon so the sambar looks thick and slightly rustic.
- Heat the oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida, and let the seeds crackle and the curry leaves turn crisp at the edges.
- Pour the hot seasoning into the pot and stir at once so the surface turns glossy and fragrant.
- Serve hot in deep bowls, with the vegetable pieces visible in the thick dal and the spiced oil spooned over the top.
