Sambar

Sambar is generally served with Idlis or Dosa. It is a very simple and basic south Indian recipe, yet very delicious. 

Servings :
For 4 persons (approx.)

Ingredients :

For basic Dal:

1/2 cup tuvar dal (Arhar Dal)
1 cup water
1 tspn vegetable oil
1/4 tspn turmeric powder
1/4 tspn asafoetida powder
Salt to taste

For Tamarind water :
A small lemon sized tamarind
2 cups water

For Tempering :
2 tbspn vegetable oil
1 tspn mustard seeds
1/2 tspn fenugreek seeds
1 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn asafoetida powder
2 chopped dry red chillies
7-8 curry leaves

For Sambar :
1 large onion (chopped in cubes)
2 small eggplants (Chopped in cubes)
1 large tomato (Chopped in cubes)
1/2 potato (Chopped in cubes)
1/4 cup red pumpkin (chopped in cubes)
1 drumstick (cut into 4-5 pieces)
2 cups Tamarind water
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1 cup water
3 tbspns Sambar Powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh corriander leaves
Tempering  ingredients (as given above)
Salt to taste

Method :

To cook Dal :
Wash the tuvar dal and transfer it into a pressure cooker vessel. Add a cup of water, vegetable oil, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and salt. Pressure cook the dal. Set aside for using it in Sambar.

To make tamarind water :
Soak tamarind in 2 cups of lukewarm water for almost 15-20 minutes. Mash it and extract juice from the tamarind. Strain the water by using Muslin cloth. Set it aside.

To make Sambar :

Heat oil in a large pan. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida powder and saute. Then add dry chillies and curry leaves to the tempering. Now add onion and saute it for a minute. After onion is a bit transculent, add other vegetables like eggplants, tomatoes, potato, pumpkin cubes and drumsticks. Saute it for 2-3 minutes. 

After sauteeing vegetables, add tamarind water and plain water. Then add turmeric powder and Sambar powder. Let the veggies get cooked into the tamarind water and sambar powder. Cover the pan with a lid. Bring it a boil and simmer on medim flame for 15-20 minutes. Check if the vegetables are cooked. Lastly add pressure cooked tuvar dal and simmer for few minutes. 

Garnish it with chopped corriander leaves and serve hot with Idlis or Dosa.

Notes :

SAMBAR POWDER :
Samar powder is readily available in market. However, it can be made at home by following the recipe given below:

Ingredients :
6 dry red chillies
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
7-8 black peppercons
1 tspn rice grains  
1 tspn tuvar dal
1 tspn chana dal  (Split bengal gram)
1 tspn urad dal 
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 tspn oil

Method :
Take oil in a pan and roast all the ingredients for a minute or two. Grind the ingredients into fine powder.

Stepwise Pictures:

Quick Dahi Vada

This is a very common recipe of making Dahi vadas that I have learnt during my childhood. Here the fried Dahi Vada is substituted with Butter biscuits. I have used wheat biscuits instead of Maida to make this recipe more healthier. Also use of Jeera flavoured biscuits make Dahi Vada more tastier. 

Ingredients :

For Sweetened Curds :
1 large cup thick Curd
2-3 tspns Sugar
A pinch of Salt

For Vada :
8-9 Jeera Butter Biscuits 
1 large bowl Water

Other Spices :
1/2 tspn Roasted Cumin Powder
1/4 tspn black pepper powder
1/2 tspn Chaat Masala
A pinch of red chilly powder

To Garnish :
Corriander leaves

Method :

To make Sweetened Curds :

Whisk curds in a bowl. Add Sugar and salt to it. Again whisk it and keep it in refrigeratar.

To make Vadas:

Heat water in a large bowl. Take the Jeera butter biscuits in a strainer. Once the water reaches boiling point, place the strainer containing Jeera Butter Biscuits into the boiling water. Let it remain in the water for a minute or two. Then remove from the boiling water and set it aside. Squeeze out the excess water from the butter biscuits.

To make Dahi Vada :

Arrange the squeezed Jeera Butter Biscuits in a serving plate or bowl. Sprinkle roasted Cumin Powder, Black Pepper Powder and Chaat Masala over it. Then pour sweetened curds over the Jeera Butter biscuits. Sprinkle red chilly powder and corriander leaves over it. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes :

Since this is a quick version, I have not used Green chutney and sweet tamarind jaggery chutney. You may add these chutneys also to enhance the taste.

Serving : 2 persons
Cooking time : 5 minutes
Serving time: 5-10 minutes

Stepwise Pictures :

Sending this entry to UK Rasoi's event From Fried to Favourite and Miz Helen's Country Cottage's Full Plate Thursday