Sambhar

Ah yes, sambhar. Another soupy, lentil-y food item eaten with rice (amongst other things). As much as I love rasam (and I do), I have to admit that there’s a heartiness to sambhar that is hard to compete with. Plus, if you’re like me, you can eat with almost anything.

Relative to rasam, sambhar is thicker, more spicy and the vegetables used take greater prominence. This recipe is a mixed vegetable sambhar, but there are others.

Also worth noting that similar to the rasam recipe, there is a spice mix that forms a key part of this recipe, but this one is a lot more involved. In general, “a lot more involved” is a good way to describe sambhar (relative to rasam). But I will point out that, as with most other things in life, you get out what you put in.

Ingredients (to serve eight):

• Carrot – 1

• Thin eggplant – 1

• Onion – 1

• Green pepper – 1

• Dried tamarind – 1 ball, about 1.5 inches in diameter / Tamarind paste – 1 tbsp 

• Toor dal – 3 tbsp 

• Turmeric – 1/2 tsp

• Dry sambhar power – 1 tsp

• Ground spice mix (wet) – full quantity from recipe below 

• Curry leaves – 6-8

• Vegetable / Peanut oil – 2 tbsp

• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

• Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp

• Asafoetida – a pinch

• Salt, to taste (start with 1 tsp)

• Coriander – garnish  

Method:

Cook the toor dal with one cup of water in a pressure cooker; mash well with a potato masher.

If using dried tamarind, soak in 1 cup of warm water; when fully soaked, squeeze out tamarind juice from the pulp and set aside. If using tamarind paste, mix with 1 cup warm water ensuring no lumps and set aside.

Cut all vegetables into cubes of approx. 1.5 inches square.

In a large pot, add cooking oil and allow it to heat up. Once hot, add mustard seeds (Note: mustard seeds will pop). Once mustard seeds have popped, add fenugreek seeds and asafoetida to the oil. Allow to cook for 30 seconds to a minute. Add curry leaves and all vegetables; fry for one minute. Add tamarind water, turmeric, sambhar powder and salt. Allow this mixture to cook until vegetables are cooked through and raw tamarind smell has gone.

Add toor dal and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Add ground spice mix (see below) and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Ground spice mix (wet) for sambhar

Ingredients:

• Channa dal – 1/2 tbsp

• Urad dal – 1/2 tbsp

• Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp

• Black pepper corns – 2

• Cloves – 1

• Cinnamon – 1/2 small stick

• Dry red chillies – 1

• Grated coconut – 1 tbsp 

• Vegetable / Peanut oil – 1 tbsp

• Water – as required, to make a smooth paste

Method: 

Fry all ingredients except coconut in vegetable oil till golden brown. While still on heat, add grated coconut and continue frying until coconut is roasted. 

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Grind into a smooth paste, adding water as required.