SAMBHAR

Sambhar is one of the most popular South Indian delicacies and is a staple food among us south Indians. When it comes to regional cooking, authenticity is highly desired but hard to come by. Sambhar  becomes highly appealing to me only when it is cooked by my grandma. So,here I present a classic masterpiece from my grandma’s kitchen.

SAMBHAR

Ingredients:

·        Tamarind – Size of a big lemon.

·        Sambhar powder -2 teaspoons (I prefer homemade, but a market variant is also available)

·        Salt to taste

·        Thuvar Dal – ½ cup

·        Any vegetable (Onion / Potato / Drumstick / Brinjal/ Ladies Finger)

·        Gingely Oil – ½ teaspoon (Sunflower oil can be used as a variant)

·        Mustard – ½ teaspoon

·        Fenugreek seeds – ¼ teaspoon

·        Asafoetida – a pinch

·        Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

Method:

·        Soak tamarind in water for 1 hour

·        Soak Thuvar Dal in water for ½ hour

·        Pressure Cook the Thuvar Dal in water for 15 minutes( 3 whistles), after adding turmeric powder to it

·        Crush the tamarind in water & extract the juice/essence – Repeat the process in additional water to extract it to the maximum

·        Take a Dry Pan – add Mustard, Fenugreek seeds in oil & season for a few minutes

·        Add Sambar powder & Salt to the liquid

·        Add the vegetables into the Pan – Saute the mix for a few minutes

·        Pour the tamarind extract in the Pan

·        Allow the mix to boil for 15 minutes

·        Remove the Dal from the pressure cooker & mash the boiled dal to a liquefied paste

·        Pour them into the boiling Pan

·        Allow the liquid to boil for a few minutes

·        Flavour it with Curry Leaves & or Coriander

“Sambhar” is ready – Serve hot with ‘cooked rice’ or ‘Dosa / Idli’

Nivedita D

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