Sambhar Dal

Tangy Toor Dal (Split pigeon peas) with a medley of vegetables.

A staple in every South Indian household with every family having their own little touch and tweak.

In my Bong kitchen too, Sambar is much loved and right or wrong, we don't know...but we pronounce this delightful tangy concoction of Dal and vegetables as Sambhar 😉😘.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Toor/Arhar Dal ...150 gm

Water to cook Dal...450 ml (3 cups)

Vegetables like Drumsticks, carrot, bhindi (okra), lauki/lau (bottle gourd), pumpkin, Brinjal....all cut into 1-1.5" lengths.

Today I used carrot, bhindi, lauki and potato ....thanks to an almost empty fridge.

Tamarind ...a lemon sized ball

Turmeric ... 1 tsp

Sambar powder (store bought) ..3- 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Sugar...a pinch to balance excess tangyness of tamarind.

Garlic pods...5-6 (optional)...I did not use today

Curry leaves... 10 - 12

Dry Whole red chili ..2-3

Mustard seeds... 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds....1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds ..1/4 tsp

Red chili powder... 1/2 tsp optional

Kashmiri chili powder.. 1/2 tsp

Hing / asafoetida...1/2 tsp

Green chili..2-3

Coriander leaves...for garnishing 

Rice Bran oil / Sesame oil ....3 tbsp in total

Rice powder and a spoon of curd to marinatr and fry the okra.

Procedure:

1. Soak the Dal in hot water for a couple of hours to reduce cooking time.  Not mandatory. 

2. Soak the tamarind in hot water to make the pulp. 

3. Place the Dal,  a pinch of turmeric, salt and water in my mini presurre cooker. Cook for 3 whistles and let the pressure release naturally. 

4. While the Dal is cooking, smear the 1 cm chopped bhindi with salt, hing, Rice powder, chili powder and 2-3 drops of water. In a kadhai, heat oil and shallow fry the bhindi with a tsp of curd (to prevent) sticking.  After frying , keep the bhindi aside.

I do this as I like the bhindi in sambhar to have a crunch. You can cook it with other veggies if you have no such preference.

5. Today I steamed the other vegetables while Rice was cooking in the steamer of the Rice cooker....for about 5-7 minutes. Vegetables can also be cooked in the pressure cooker along with the Dal if there's a time crunch.

6. In the kadhai in which bhindi was being fried, add diced onion petal. No additional oil required. Remove the steamed vegetables (carrot, lauki, potato) from the steamer and add to the kadhai . Saute after adding salt, turmeric. Once the rawness of veggies are done away with,  add red chili, Kashmiri chili, sambar masala. Fry theveggies and masala well. 

7. Now pour the pressure cooked Dal into the kadhai.  Stir well to combine the Dal and veggies. Add water to adjust the consistency.  Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat, add the tamarind pulp and a pinch of sugar. Let it come to a boil. Add the fried bhindi.

8. In a small pan, heat oil and temper with whole,  dried red chilies, curry leaves, hing mustard-cumin-fenugreek seeds. Once the crackling stops, pour into the booking Dal.

9. Add a tablespoon of ghee into the Dal and garnish with chopped coriander leaves abs green chilies. 

Serve a bowl of steaming health and goodness with Rice / Idli / Sambar / Uttàpam.