Recipe for Vegetable Sambar

It is an important south Indian dish but due to its flavour and aroma Sambhar is available in almost all south Indian restaurants in big cities and is also made at home.

Ingredients
Arhar dal - 1/2 cup which has been soaked in water 1/2 an hour before.
Tomatoes - 3Ginger - 1"
long piece Green chillies – 2
Bottle gourd - 1 cup (cut into medium sized pieces)
Beans - 10 to 12 (cut into 1" long pieces)
Vegetables can be added according to your liking for eg: pumpkin, apple gourd, brinjal etc.
Green coriander - 2 to 3 tbsp (finely chopped)
Curry leaves - 15 to 20
Tamarind pulp - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp or add to taste
Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp
Whole spices which we will turn into Sambhar masala:
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 2 (you can add more if you prefer spicy)
Whole coriander - 2 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Elaichi (cardamom) – 2
Black pepper - 8 to 10
Cloves – 2
Cinnamon - ½ " long piece.  

Method


We will roast all these whole spices and grind them. First of all we will boil dal to make Sambhar.Put dal in a cooker, turn on the gas. Add 1 cup water in the cooker followed by 1/2 tsp salt, close the lid till 1 whistle goes off.Until the whistle goes off let us roast the whole spices for Sambhar masala.Put the spices in a panSpices have to be roasted on a low flame while you keep stirring them.After the spices are roastedtake them out on a plate as the pan is still hot and the spices will keep roasting.The whistle has blownso now we will lower the flame let dal cook for 3-4 minutes on a low flame.After 3-4 minutes the dal is cooked so remove the cooker from the gas.Till all of the pressure is realesed from the cooker let us boil the vegetables.Put the vegetables in a pan along with 1/2 cup water.Cover the pan and cook the vegetables on a medium flame till they become tender.Now let us grind the spices by the time.Put the roasted spices in the mixer along with the tomatoes(cut them first) so that they grind well all together.Cut tomatoes, ginger and green chillies into big pieces.Grind all of these into a fine paste.Check the vegetablesthey are still hard so allow them to cook for some more time.Now let us prepare spices for Sambhara big utensil would be better as Sambhar has to be made quite thin.Pour 2 spoons oil after pan is heated.Put mustard seeds, methi seeds and after they are roasted add curry leaves.Now add turmeric powder and the grounded spices.We will fry the spices till oil surfaces.Stir regularly as you fry the spices on a medium flameThe spices are ready so let us check the vegetables as well.The vegetables have become tender so add them to the spices.Pour 2 cups water in the utensil for now(we will add more later).Wait for the vegetables to come to boil, till then check the dal.Dal is also readyproperly mash dal in the cooker itself so that it does not appear as whole.Put the mashed dal in the utensil with vegetables.Sambhar is thick in consitency at the moment and has to be made thin.. So we will add more (1 cup) water to it.Add tamarind pulp, salt and mix.Now we will allow Sambhar to boil for another 3-4 minutes after it starts boiling on a low flame.Sambhar is starting to boilso in this same manner (as it is boilin) we will let it cook it for 4-5 minutes.After 4-5 minutes of boiling, Sambhar is prepared. Turn off the gas.Put little bit of coriander in Sambhar and mix.Steaming hot Sambhar is ready.We have cut and boiled vegetables to prepare Sambhar.If you have gourd, pumpkin, beans or cauliflower curry in the fridge then we can add them in the Sambhar as well.This does not require us to put in other vegetables.Doing this brings the curry to use and also save time while cooking.It also make very tasty.This amount of Sambhar is sufficient for 4-5 family members.Serve Sambhar with dosa, idli, vada or rice.