Kitchen Tantra

Vathal Sambar:(Country Style)

Kathirikkai Vathal Sambar/ Manghai Vathal Sambar. Sun dried Eggplant/Brinjal + Mangoes in Sambar.

I know, most of you would have tried 'Vathal' in 'Kuzhambu' but not in 'Sambar'. I guess! Well.....its a country style dish. I happen to taste it few atimes when I was little girl. So.....I went asking about this to my Mom. She hardly remembered it too. Somehow I figured it out. Its an exellant relishing dish. Its very aromatic sambar, I everr had! It has unique taste.....maybe thats why I couldnt forget it.

Ingredients:

Thoor dal/Thuvar dal 1-2 cups
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3
Onion 1 large chopped
Tomato 1 small chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1-2 spoons
Coriander seeds powder 1 spoon
Sambar powder 1-2 spoons
Oil 1 cup.

To be Chopped, Salted and Sun Dried:

Eggplant/Brinjal 1/4 kilo
Raw Mangoes 1/4 kilo

For Garnishing:

Crisply fried curry leaves 1 cup
Coriander leaves (optional)

Method:

Pressure cook dal. Add 4 cups of water, salt and few spoons of oil to it. The thin film of oil on top of the water....will allow the dal to get cooked properly, without allowing all water to get evaporated. (My Dad told me this method)

Okay.....once the dal is done, set aside in a bowl.

In a wide non-stick deep pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida and dry chilies to it. Let them pop and splutter well.

Then add onions and tomatoes to it. Followed by turmeric, chili, coriander and sambar powder.(remember not to add any salt again.....as the vegetable-sundried vegetable itself has enough salt)

Fry them real good for a while and add cooked 'thuvar dal' to it. Allow them to boil well and have nice 'sambar' consistency.

Add sun-dried vegetables now(the dry vathal) to this sambar. Cook over medium heat for long time. Maybe until this vegetables are cooked.

After cooking the 'Vathal' should be soft and easy to bite.

Garnish with fried curry leaves on the top.

This sambar would be really aromatic than the regular sambar. So....enjoy with nice steam cooked rice.

Labels: Brinjal/ Egg-Plant, Sambar