Quick sambar, without sambar powder!

The recipe given below is a quick way to prepare sambar, without sambar powder.

This way of making sambar is actually more flavourful with dominant aroma of mild dal and vegetables and subtle undertones of tempered spices.

Hearty lunch

Steamed rice, sambar, ladies finger curry, beans poriyal

Give it a try and you will love it.

Ingredients

To cook dal
1/2 cup toor dal
1/4 ts hing
1/4 ts + 1/4 ts turmeric powder
1 ts sesame oil

For tempering
1/2 ts mustard seed, 1/2 ts urad dal
1 ts jeera
1/4 ts fenugreek seed
1/4 ts hing
Few curry leaves
1 red chilli, 2 green chilli

For sambar
1 small onion
1 small tomato
1 cup chopped vegetables of your choice
1/2 lemon sized tamarind
2 ts coriander powder

2 ts besan (chickpea flour) (Optional)

Handful of chopped coriander leaves

In a pressure cooker
to 1/2 cup washed dal,
add 1/4 ts turmeric powder,
1/4 ts hing,
1 ts sesame oil

Add 1 cup water, do not add salt while cooking dal
Close the lid and pressure cook
for 1 whistle in high flame and
3 whistles in medium flame
After cooked, set it aside and allow the air to release by itself

While dal is getting cooked,
soak 1/2 lemon sized tamarind in hot water

Get ready the tempering ingredients
1/2 ts mustard seed, 1/2 ts urad dal
1 ts jeera
1/4 ts fenugreek seed
1/4 ts hing
Few curry leaves
1 red chilli, 2 green chilli

Heat 2 ts sesame oil, 1 ts ghee
Temper the above ingredients in hot oil and allow to splutter

Get the sambar ingredients ready
- Chop 1 small onion, 1 small tomato
and 1 cup chopped vegetables of your choice ( I have used chayote / chow chow)
- Extract the tamarind water
- Also we require 2 ts coriander powder, 1/4 ts turmeric powder

To the cooked dal,
add the tempered spices and sambar ingredients from previous step
Add required salt at this stage
Add more water to adjust consistency of sambar
Close the cooker lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle in medium flame
After cooked, set it aside and allow the air to release by itself