Sambar is a dish in South Indian Cuisine, made of lentil soup (chick peas or bengal gram) as a base, flavoured with several spices, cooked with vegetables and finally tempered with mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves. It is usually served with rice/idlis/Dosa. This video describes how to cook sambar, including the preparation of sambar masala. INGREDIENTS TO MAKE SAMBAR MASALA: ½ CUP GRATED COCONUT ½ SPRING CURRY LEAVES. 4 TBS CORIANDER SEEDS 2 TBS CHICK PEAS OR SPLIT BLACK GRAM OR CHANA DAL. 1 TBS FEUGREEK SEEDS. 2-3 THIN SLICES OF ONION. 8 DRIED RED CHILLIES. ½ TSP ASAFOETIDA Fry the above ingredients except asafoetida in 2 tbs of sunflower oil roughly for 5 minutes (until the coconut is golden brown) in medium flame. Add ½ tsp asafoetida towards the end of frying. Leave it aside for few minutes to cool down. Blend with ½ cup of water to make a fine paste. COOKING SAMBAR: Cook ½ cup of toor dar with 1 ½ cups of water, adding more water as required. This takes about 20 minutes in an open pan (10 minutes after the first whistle in a pressure cooker) Add cut veggies of your choice to the cooked dal with 1 tbs red chilli powder, ½ tbs of turmeric powder and salt to taste. Cook for 10 minutes. Add tamarind juice (made from 2.5 tbs tamarind soaked in luke warm water for 20 min) . Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add blended sambar masala and more water if required. Let it boil for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 tsp grated jaggery (palm sugar) and stir well. Switch off the stove. Temper with 2 tbs mustard seeds, 4 dried red chillies, 2 springs of curry leaf fried for 2 minutes in 2 tbs of oil. Serve hot with rice/idlis/dosa

• published: 03 Aug 2013
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