Plantain Stem Sambar - My Mom's Favorite:)

Vazhai Thandu Sambar:

Other Names: Banana Tree's inner Stem in Lentil's based Curry.

Ingredients:

Plantain stem - tender, sliced
Thuvar Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thuvar dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles. Set aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is translucent.

Then add tomatoes and fry till they wilt. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for about 2 minutes.

Add sliced plantain stem and cooked thuvar dal now. Bring this to boil. Add tamarind paste and sambar powder and cilantro leaves. Cook briefly and remove from heat.

In a separate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items. Tun this tempered spices over the sambar prepared.

Arai Keerai Kothu Paruppu / Amaranthus Greens Sambhar - Adopt Green Cooking!

Arai Keerai Sambhar:

Ingredients

Greens 1 bunch - cleaned
Green chilies 3 sliced
Garlic 4 crushed
Onion 1 large chopped
Tomato 1 large chopped
Chick peas/chana dal 1 cup
Thuvar dal 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambhar powder 1 spoon
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon

For Tempering:

Oil few spoon
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Cook thuvar dal(lentils) till tender and set aside.

Cook the chana dal, briefly...cooked, but not mushy. Set aside as well.

Heat oil, in a vessel. Add the tempering spices and wait till it sizzles. Then followed by chilies, garlic, onions and tomatoes. Cook over high heat...maybe till the raw odor leaves the pan.

Now, stir-in greens and two types of lentils to it. Further add salt, turmeric, chili and sambar powder to it. Once the greens are done, add tamarind paste and bring it to boil once...and remove from heat.

Serve to go with your lunch, either steamed rice or chappathis...it pairs well.

Hotel Style Tiffin Sambhar

Hotel Tiffin Sambhar:

Tiffin Sambhar, Thanni Sambhar.

Ingredients:

Eggplants or Pumpkin or Drumsticks - finely chopped
Thai Chili / Indian Green chilies 3 sliced
Pearl onions/ Spanish red onions sliced thinly
Country tomatoes 2 crushed
Thuvar dhall 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Tamarind paste 1/2 spoon
Oil few spoons.

To Be Toasted and Powdered:

Fenugreek seeds 2 spoons
Coriander seeds 2 spoons

To Temper:

Oil few spoons
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 pinch
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few.

To Garnish:

Cilantro leaves few
Grated coconut 1 spoon - optional.

Method:


Cook thuvar dhall on stove top, without using any lid over low-medium heat...until tender. Do not use pressure cooker. Its gonna be slow-cooking...sure this method imparts considerable flavor.

In a wide vessel, heat oil. Add chilies, onions and tomatoes...fry real good. Once the onions are brown and tomatoes wilt...add salt, turmeric and chili powders.

Further add the vegetables plus 1 cup of water. Cover and cook.

Add cooked dhall, tamarind paste and powdered spices. Once the vegetable is done till tender...remove from heat and top them with tempered spices. Garnish them as you please.

Serve to go with your idlies or dosas.

Green Onions Sambhar - Jiffy Cooking

Spring Onions Sambhar:

Ingredients:

Green onion 1 large bunch
Thuvar Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thuvar dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles. Set aside

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is translucent.

Then add tomatoes and fry till they wilt. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for about 2 minutes.

Add cooked thuvar dal now. Bring this to boil. Add the chopped green onions plus tamarind paste and sambar powder and cilantro leaves. Cook briefly and remove from heat.

In a separate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items. Tun this tempered spices over the sambar prepared.

Hotel Style Sambar Vadai

Sambhar Vada:(Hotel Style)

There were days, when I simply relied on hotel food. While studying, thats the best thing to do to myself...eat a decent breakfast and keep a big distance from hostel mess:) I am not the person who wants perfection in every bite...but during those hectic days, big breakfast was pretty mandatory.

So, whenever we girls step out for morning tiffin, I order myself sambar vada...and my friends used to pull my legs, saying' its leftover vadas Malar and call me 'Sambhar Maniac'. Those were days...

Ingredients:

For Vadai:

Urad dal 1 cup
Rice 1-2 spoons
Salt
Ginger 2" peeled & chopped
Whole peppercorns 1 spoon
Cumin 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Coconut 4" piece finely chopped
Curry leaves few
Sago 1 spoon - powdered(to give some crunch on the crust)
Rice flour - gives reddish tint
Oil for deep frying.

Ingredients:

For Sambar:

Thoor dal 1 cup
Small Onions 1 cup/Red onions sliced
Country Tomatoes 2-3 diced
Garlic 5 cloves crushed
White pumpkin diced 1/2 cup
Drumstick 1 chopped to the same size of pumpkin
Jaggery 2 spoons
Curry leaves few
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Mustard 1/2 spoon
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon
Coriander leaves finely chopped 1/2 cup
Ghee 1/2 cup

To Be Roasted Each Separately And Powdered Together:

Coriander seeds 2-4 spoons
Chana dal 2-4 spoons
Curry leaves few
Fenugreek seeds 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 3-5
Asafoetida 1 spoon.

To Garnish:

Finely chopped onions
Finely chopped chilies
Finely chopped cilantro leaves
Lemon juice and pinch of salt.

Method:

For Sambar:

In a pressure cooker, heat few spoons of ghee. Add 2-3 cups of water to this. Pressure cook the lentils till soft and tender.

In a separate non-stick cook- ware, heat ghee. Add mustard, asafoetida and curry leaves to this. Let them splutter.

Now add onions and garlic to this and fry for a while. Add tomatoes and fry till they loose their water content and oil shows up on sides.

Add vegetables, turmeric powder, salt, chili powder, jaggery and 1 spoon of freshly prepared sambar powder to this.

Now add the cooked lentils. Cover and cook over medium flame.

Once the vegetables are done, add tamarind paste, remaining sambar powder and freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Run a few spoons of ghee, before serving.

Mehtod:

For Vadai:

Soak urad dal and rice in water for nearly 1-2 hours.

Then drain off its excess water. Wet grind them to thick butter like paste.

Now mix all the above mentioned items to it(except oil)

Heat up the oil in deep frying pan. Wet your palm and make vadas as given in the pictures.

Fry till golden to reddish brown. Let the outer vada turn nice and crispy.

For Sambar Vadai:

Dip the warm vadai in luke warm water for few seconds and leave it in serving bowl. Then pour some generous amount of sambar on top. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve at room temperature.

Kovaikkai Sambar

Tinda Sambar:

Kovaikkai Sambar. Dhondakkai Sambar.

It used to be another boring Sambar in University Hostel! They will make this sambar 2-3 times a weak! We hated it! But not anymore....now I rarely spot this veggie in the market! I got so little this time(that was the last few pieces left in an Asian Grocery Store)not to mention....drove 70 miles for that!! It was so little to make fry or to try anything new....so went with that hostel menu!

Ingredients:

Ivy Gourd 1/4 kilo(Sliced)
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.

Now set this dal aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.

Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in sliced veggies and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Maybe till the oil coats.

Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.

When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, sambar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared

Potato Sambar

Potato Sambar:

Urulaikizhangu Sambar. Aloo Sambar

When I was a kid....Mommy leaves me behind....to visit her parents(during summer vacation). Myself and Dad will have lot of fun together! Yeah...you guessed, I am still Daddy's little Princess! Daddy takes me to office(sometimes...if it is a trip for an Inspection or Feild Visit)....otherwise I have to stay at home. In the evenning he will surprise me taking to Restaurants and we'll go watching movies! When we are really bored....Dad also cooks wonderful meals to me! One such unusual dish is 'Potato Sambar'! I don't know maybe you guys know this already....but my mother never made this sambar(ever)....so when Dad made this....it was simply Awesome! He has invented(atleast for me)several dishes like this! So....on the other day...I was kind of missing those lovely old days! Tho' Potato is not anymore my choice of veggie....felt like being with Dad! So here you go!

Ingredients:

Potato 1/4 kilo(Sliced into wedges)
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.

Now set this dal aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.

Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in sliced veggies and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Maybe till the oil coats.

Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.

When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared.

Avaraikai Sambar

Avaraikai Sambar:

Snow Peas Sambar. Chikudukai Sambar. Broad Beans Sambar.

Ingredients:

Broad beans/snow peas 1/2 kilo(Sliced)
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.

Now set this dal aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.

Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in sliced veggies and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Maybe till the oil coats.

Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.

When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared.

Mixed Veggie Sambar:

Ingredients:

Mixed Veggies of your choice
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.

Now set this dal aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.

Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in sliced and chopped veggies and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Maybe till the oil coats.

Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.

When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared.

Drumstick Greens Sambar

Murungai Keerai Sambar:English name:Drumstick Leaves.

The Botanical name of this tree is Moringa oleifera. The Sanskrit name is Shigru patram. In Tamil we call it Murungai Maram.

I googled some benefits of eating this greens for you'll(listed below). As for as I know...its rich in iron...so good for hair growth!

Balances all the three doshas (Tridosha)
Relieves: Loss of appetite, Internal body heat,Heat of head,Giddiness, Eye diseases,
It is an aphrodisiac & Relieves constipation.

Ingredients:

Moringha greens 1 heavy bunch
Green chilies 3 slitted
Onion 1 large chopped coarsely
Tomatoes 2 chopped roughly
Thoor dal 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar powder 1 spoon
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

For Seasonning:

Thallippu Vadam 2 spoons
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies 1 crushed
Curry leaves few
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Cook thoor dal till tender and set aside.

In a vessel, heat oil. Add chlies, onion and tomatoes and saute for few minutes.

Add salt, turmeric and chili powders too.

Then add greens and cooked dal.Add 2-4ups of water. This greens gets cooked too quicky.

Add tamarind water and sambar powder.

In a seperate pan, heat up oil and add seasonning items and wait till they splutter. Run this over the sambar made.

Manathakali Kai Sambar:

Mani-thakkali Kai Sambar. Milagu-Thakkali Kai Sambar. Sukidi Kai Sambar.

From the name itself it explains that these berries are very tiny. Its about the size of pepper. They are green in color and turns to purple when they ripe. Both the greens and these berries are edible. Greens....I already mentioned 'Masiyal' and 'Kuzhambu'. When it comes to berries...they sun dry them and use it in 'Vatha Kuzhambu'. I never practically seen people using fresh berries! Well....instead of going thro' all the hardship of sun-drying and storing them....I thought of fixing sambar and Kuzhambu out of it. So here it goes...

Ingredients:

Manathakkali Vidhai/Kai fresh 1 cup
Green chilies 6 finely chopped
Garlic 2 whole heads peeled & semi crushed
Onions 2 finely chopped
Tomatoes 2 chopped
Thoor dal 2 fistful
Tamarind paste 1/2 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few spoons
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Remove the stalk from the berries and wash them. Set aside.

In a wide vessel, boil 2 cups of water. Add salt and pinch of turemric to it. Now add berries, cover and cook for about 7-10 minutes. Or until the berries are tender.

Now remove them from heat and coarsely grind them in earthern pot(if you have one)or use wooden masher....and mash them gently. So that the berries release their fine seeds. Set aside.

Pressure cook thoor dal till tender.

Now heat a skillet. Add few spoons of oil. Start adding chilies, garlic, onions and tomatoes. Fry real good...until fragrant.

Add salt, turmeric, chili powders to it. Followed by ground berry and thoor dal.

Bring this to boil and finaly add tamarind and continue cooking over medium heat for few more minutes.

In a seperate pan, heat oil. Crackle up the seasonning spices and run this over the sambar made.

Hummingbird Greens Stew

Agathi Keerai Sambar:

Agathi Keerai(Tamil) is known as Agathi leaves in English. The botanical name of this tree is Sesbania grandiflora and common name is Hummingbird tree. It is also called as Agasthiya in sanskrit.

Medicianal Value: Balances pitta and kapha, Bitter in taste and has to be taken occasionally.It is not advised during medication as it has the potency to reduce the power of medicine. Antidote for poisons.It has cooling effect. Good for fever. As most of the greens,it is a laxative. Helps in digestion. It is a tonic. Cures insanity.It is a considered as a satvic food.

Ingredients:

Agathi Keerai 1 heavy bunch
Green chilies 3 slitted
Onion 1 large chopped coarsely
Tomatoes 2 chopped roughly
Thoor dal 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar powder 1 spoon
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

For Seasonning:

Thallippu Vadam 2 spoons
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies 1 crushed
Curry leaves few
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Cook thoor dal till tender and set aside.

In a vessel, heat oil. Add chlies, onion and tomatoes and saute for few minutes.

Add salt, turmeric and chili powders too.

Then add greens and cooked dal. Allow it to boil for really really long time. Add 2-4ups of water. This greens take lot of time to get cooked. Maybe like more than 30 minutes.

So when you feel comfortable(green cooked) add tamarind water and sambar powder.

In a seperate pan, heat up oil and add seasonning items and wait till they splutter. Run this over the sambar made.

Its also called Agathi keerai rasam at some parts. This sambar/rasam shuld be really liquidy-thin. Actually the water is more tasty than the greens itself. Drinking this sambar has too many medicinal use.

Sundaikkai Sambar:

Sundakkai is called 'Turkey Berry' in English and its Botanical Name is 'Solanum torvam'. The cooked berry is used as a Vermifuge. The seeds and its skin acts as a roughage to stomach.

Turkey berry is an erect spiny shrub that is also known by prickley solanum, shoo-shoo bush, devil’s fig, wild egg plant, susumba, boo, terongan, tekokak, berenjena cimarrona, berenjena de gallina, berenjena silvestre, tabacón, pendejera, tomatillo, bâtard balengène, zamorette, friega-platos, pea eggplant, makhua phuang....(Source - Wikipedia)

This is my Mommy's recipe. She really makes this in a unique way....we could neither call this sambar/kuzhambu. Kind of in between these two! She says....if you do this like any other regular sambar...the veggie will be really bitter. Maybe she is right! And Mommy also uses mann-chatti(earthern pot to grind)these beriies. Maybe it also contributes in some way to that unique taste.

My brother loves this recipe! When myself and my brother met at India....nearly after 2 and half years. I prepared this dish for him. Mommy was like...how come I figured the method and ingredients....without asking her at any point. I consider myself thats a great compliment!

Ingredients:

Turkey berries few bunch
Green chilies 6 finely chopped
Garlic 2 whole heads peeled & semi crushed
Onions 2 finely chopped
Tomatoes 2 chopped
Thoor dal 2 fistful
Tamarind paste 1/2 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few spoons
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Remove the stalk from the berries and wash them. Set aside.

In a wide vessel, boil 2 cups of water. Add salt and pinch of turemric to it. Now add berries, cover and cook for about 7-10 minutes. Or until the berries are tender.

Now remove them from heat and coarsely grind them in earthern pot(if you have one)or use wooden masher....and mash them gently. So that the berries release their fine seeds. Set aside.

Pressure cook thoor dal till tender.

Now heat a skillet. Add few spoons of oil. Start adding chilies, garlic, onions and tomatoes. Fry real good...until fragrant.

Add salt, turmeric, chili powders to it. Followed by ground berry and thoor dal.

Bring this to boil and finaly add tamarind and continue cooking over medium heat for few more minutes.

In a seperate pan, heat oil. Crackle up the seasonning spices and run this over the sambar made.

Murungaikkai Pulp Pongal:

Drumsticks Pulp Pongal/Rice.

The Botanical name of this tree is 'Moringa oleifera'! Both Leaves and pods are edible here. Well...talking about its pod, we call it 'murungai' in Tamil. Which literally means 'twisted'. Yeah...the pod is so slender and looks like twisted one. The common name of 'Murungaikai' is 'Horse Raddish Tree' 'Drum Sticks Tree'.

Well...here I cooked this under my Dad's direction. We cooked the drumsticks and separated pulp alone and used it in cooking. My brother really appreciated this one....as he always complains when we cook the whole drumsticks ' why the hell you guys put these sticks in sambar?!' I am glad that he enjoyed this one!

Ingredients:

Rice 1 cup
Thoor dal 2 fistful
Drumsticks 4
Green chilies 4 finely chopped
Garlic 4 beads finely chopped
Onion 1 small finely chopped
Tomato 1 chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1 pinch
Curry leaves few
Cumin seeds few
Oil few spoons
Cilantro chopped few.

Method:

Chop drumsticks and cook with limited water. And then separate the pulp alone. Use back of your spoon and scoop the pulp! Set aside.

In a crock pot, heat oil. Add cumin, curry leaves and chilies. Let them crackle up.

Then add garlic, onion and tomatoes...fry real good.

Further add salt, turmeric, rice and dal to it. Add enough water. Cover and cook till tender.

When the rice and dal is done, stir-in drumstick's pulp + 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook till they blend to the rice and pongal consistency is achieved.

Garnish with cilantro leaves. Enjoy with potato chips.

Kathirikkai Murungakkai Mangai Sambar:

The Botanical name of this tree is 'Moringa oleifera'! Both Leaves and pods are edible here. I will post its leaves recipe later. Well...talking about its pod, we call it 'murungai' in Tamil. Which literally means 'twisted'. Yeah...the pod is so slender and looks like twisted one. The common name of 'Murungaikai' is 'Horse Raddish Tree' 'Drum Sticks Tree'. But Americans may confuse it with real drum's sticks or Drum Chicken/chicken leg piece....here. I had hard time to explain about this veggie to my Friend Teena, once. Then finally I showed her some pictures!

Well...here I have made a mixed veggie sambar which quite famous in Tamil Nadu. While making combo sambar....we have a special pick. Here eggplants(brinjal), drum sticks and raw mangoes. Just 1 small wedge of mango makes the sambar incredible!

Ingredients:

Brinjal/Eggplant 4 - sliced & cubed
Drumsticks 2 chopped
Mango 1 small wedge
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

Leave the cut drumsticks and brinjal in cold water...until cooking. Prevents discoloration.

In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.

Now set this dal aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.

Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in veggies and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Maybe till the oil coats.

Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.

When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared.