Sambar recipe | Kerala sambar with home made masala | South Indian sambar

Sambar is very popular dish in South India. It's a spicy lentil soup with variety of vegetables. This is one of those dish which i make regularly at home.In different regions sambar is made with the paste of fresh roasted coconut instead of sambar powder. This goes well with Idli, Dosa,Vada or even plain Rice. Sambar with plain rice and Kerala pappadum's is a comfort food for me..Yum..!! My Mom and My Mother-in-law they never use store bought sambar masala so do i now. Trust me making fresh Sambar masala is better than using ready made sambar powder. Hope you enjoy making..

Ingredients:

For sambar:

1 cup toor dal / pigeon pea lentils / thoran parippu
1 small onion (cut into cubes) or 10-12 shallots (whole or halved)
1 tomato (cut into 8 cubes)
2-3 green chilllies slit
generous amount of asafoetida
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 carrot (cut into 2 inch pieces)
2 drumsticks / moringa
salt
water
tamarind pulp

For sambar powder:

3 tablespoon coriander powder
2 tablespoon red chilli powder ( as per taste)
2 pinch of fenugreek powder

For tempering:

2-3 shallots or pearl onion finely chopped
2-3 dry red chilli whole
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
sprig of curry leaves
oil (coconut or vegetable)

Method:

• Soak some tamarind in little water and keep it aside.
• Take a pressure cooker add washed toor dal, onions, tomato, asafoetida, turmeric powder,green chillies, salt and water. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistle or until dal is nicely mashed.
• Once the pressure settles down open the lid and add in the vegetables carrot and drumstick ( can use okra, beans, eggplant, radish make sure to cut into cubes)
• Cook till the veggies are half cooked.
• Meanwhile prepare sambar powder,in a separate pan add little oil once it's hot add red chilli powder, coriander powder and fenugreek powder.
• Roast them on low flame till it turns golden brown do not burn them.
• Once the veggies get half cooked add in the prepared sambar powder.Mix well.
• Then add tamarind pulp mix again and cook on medium to low flame till the ingredients in the sambar have nicely infused with one another. Add water if you feel sambar is too thick.
• Keep the sambar closed with a lid on low flame.
• Next step is tempering, for that take small pan add some oil ( coconut or vegetable), mustard seeds let it pop, then add curry leaves, finely chopped shallots and dry red chillies.
• Saute them till the onions become nice golden brown.
• Then add the tempering into the Sambar, give a nice mix.
• Switch off the flame, and keep the lid on for sometime. 
• You will have a lovely sambar aroma all around your kitchen. You will also notice that after few hours sambar become bit thick. If it becomes too thick add little water and simmer for few minutes.

Pictorial:

                                Soak some tamarind in little water and keep it aside.

Take a pressure cooker add washed toor dal, onions, tomato, asafoetida, turmeric powder,green chillies, salt and water. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistle or until dal is nicely mashed.

Once the pressure settles down open the lid and add in the vegetables carrot and drumstick ( can use okra, beans, eggplant, radish, yellow cucumber but make sure to cut into cubes).Cook till the veggies are half cooked.

Meanwhile prepare sambar powder,in a separate pan add little oil once it's hot add red chilli powder, coriander powder and fenugreek powder.

                Roast them on low flame till it turns golden brown do not burn them.

              Once the veggies get half cooked add in the prepared sambar powder.Mix well.

Then add tamarind pulp mix again and cook on medium to low flame till the ingredients in the sambar have nicely infused with one another. Add extra water if required or if you feel sambar is too thick.

 Final step is tempering, Take a pan add some oil and mustard seeds. Allow it to pop.

                               Then add curry leaves, dry red chilli and finely chopped shallots.

                                          Fry till they are golden brown do not get burnt.

                            Add the tempering into the sambar and simmer for few minutes.

                                                      Sambar is all ready to be served.

Notes:

1. You can add more veggies like okra, dosakai (yellow cucumber), bottle gourd, beans, eggplant as such.
2. Make sure to cut into cubes.
3. Once sambar gets cooked, after few hours it becomes thick so add water as per your gravy consistency.