Tasty sambar recipe

Sambar

Sambar is a vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind and pigeon peas, and is very popular in the cooking of southern regions of India especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Each state in South India prepares it with a typical variation, adapted to its taste and environment.

METHODS OF PREPARING SAMBAR

For a long time I wanted to post different sambar preparations.
Today, I am posting the first instalment of preparing VENKAYA SAMBAR.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients Sambar

150 gms of Thoram parappu (Toor dhall)
3 Spoons of Sambar powder (Please refer to my sambar powder recipe)
100 gms of sambar venkayam (small onions)
2 springs of curry leaves
4 Green chillies sliced into half
1 spoon of Perangayam(Hing)
3 medium sized Sambar Tomatoes diced in 1/2 inch pieces
Oil for tampering
1/2 spoon of mustard seeds
1/2 spoon of Fenugreek seeds
1/2 spoon of broken Dhaniya seeds
1/2 spoon of Perangayam for tampering
3 broken dry chillies
one spoon chilli powder
1/2 spoon of Turmeric powder
1 lemon sized ba*ll of Tamarind (add water and extract thick juice)
1 fairly large onion to be grilled on fire till outer cover is black and make paste of it in a mixi
2 tea spoons of freshly made paste of Coconut
1/2 cup of Kothumalli

OPTIONAL ADDITIVES

You can add vegetables like Brinjal, Lady's finger .Radish, kirai(bhaji) beans , carrots, etc for different variations of sambar.
But VENKAYA SAMBAR means pure venkaya sambar without any additives.

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Cook the dhall after adding one small spoon of Perangayam (hing) very well.
Keep it aside in the cooker for thirty minutes.
Now churn the dhall till the froth and keep it aside.

Take the baby onions and saute in oil for about three to four minutes.Take care that you don't cook the onions .

There is another variation of adding the raw baby onions in the Dhall and let it get cooked in dhall itself.I have found the second variation better for sambar taste.
Now add extract of Tamarind to Dhall along with salt .Boil the dhall till the raw smell of Tamrind goes off.
Now add semi cooked baby sambar onions and springs of curry leaves and sliced green chillies.Let it boil for about two to three minutes.

Now add three spoons of Sambar powder,one spoon of chilli powder and diced tomatoes and turmeric powder.
Let the whole thing simmer for about six minutes.

Take down the half cooked sambar and keep it aside.

Take the grilled onion, remove the burnt outer cover and make a paste of the onion
in a mixi .

Add the paste of coconut and onion now to sambar and slowly heat it on medium flame til it boils for about three to four minutes.

Tamper with mustard, chillies,fenugreek(vendiyum) seeds,broken dhaniya seeds and Perangayam.

Garnish with finely chopped kothumalli and set aside.

POINT TO REMEMBER
Sambar must be made atleast two hours befor you are to serve to self or the guests.
The real taste of sambar comes only after two hours of cooking.