Sambhar

Popularity: Referred to as Paruppu Sambhar / Podi Sambhar / Paruppu Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

1. Tamarind : size of two small lemons
2. Sambhar Powder: 3 tbsps
3. Salt
4. Turmeric Powder
5. Fenugreek (Vendhiyam) : 1 tsp
6. Mustard: 1 tsp
7. Toor Dal : 150 gms
8. Curry Leaves
9. Ghee / Oil: 2 tsps
10. Any Vegetable for Thaan like Carrot, potato, Beans, Avaraikkai, Pumpkin (White/Yellow), Drum Stick, Radish, Lady’s finger, Onion or a combination of few vegetables make it more tasty
11. Rice Flour – 2 tsps
12. Water

Preparation Procedure:

1. Extract Tamarind essence by putting the tamarind in warm water and squeezing them.
2. The Tamarind water can be kept up to 400 ml initially (rough measure)
3. Separately ½ cook the vegetable by steaming in water for few mins.  In case of onion, fry the onions as small pieces.
4. Cook the Toor dal separately such that it is cooked very well and you are able to smash the cooked dal. (you may choose to keep the vegetable, dal separately in cooker in different separators along with rice so that you can save time)
5. Boil the Tamarind water for 5 mins and add Salt, Sambhar powder and a pinch of turmeric powder and also the half cooked vegetable and few curry leaves.
6. Add 2tsps of ghee / oil in kadai and put mustard seeds. When mustard starts splattering, add Fenugreek and asafoedita. Add this seasoned mix to the above mixture (as in step 5)
7. Allow the mixture to boil for 15 to 20 mins so that the raw sambhar powder taste goes away and also the vegetable is fully cooked.
8. The sambhar would start thickening now.. Add the cooked dal. While adding the cooked dal, you can smash the 3/4^th quantity and the remaining 1/4^th, you can add it directly without smashing..this will ensure that the gravy becomes slightly thick as well as the dal also appears floating in the Sambhar.
9. If the sambhar is watery, add rice flour (2 or 3 tsps, make it as a paste with water and add to the Sambhar.
10. Add few more curry leaves and switch off the stove.

Tips to make Sambhar Rice:

While packing / preparing Sambhar rice, fact to be kept in mind is it will consume more sambhar when you mix it and pack it as sambhar rice for lunch, etc …rather than immediately consume it.. Hence, make more quantity and while mixing rice, add 1 tsp of ghee, 2 tsps of gingely oil and then add sambhar and mix it well…It would taste good..