Cook Simply

 Sambar

Sambar with rice is one of the main courses of both formal and everyday tamilian cuisine. It is also prepared in other parts of southern India with mild variations. Often served by pouring it over steamed rice, best accompanied with curries and appalam.

Ingredients
1 cup	Toor dhal (Thuvaram paruppu/kandi pappu,soak for atleast 1 hour)
1 no	Onion (cut lengthwise)
1 cup	Choice of vegies (carrots, radish,drumstick,beans,okra,brinjal))
2 nos	Tomato
1 no	Green chilli
3 clove	Garlic
3 tsp	Tamrind juice (or thick store bought pulp 1/4 tsp)
3 tsp	Red chilli powder
2 tsp	Corrainder powder
¼ tsp	Turmeric powder
2 tsp	Sambhar powder (store bought gives good color)
2 tsp	Salt (or to taste)
2 tbsp	Oil
½ tsp	Mustard
½ tsp	Cumin seeds
¼ tsp	Fenugreek seeds
2 nos	Dry red chilli
½ tsp	Asafoetida powder
7 nos	Curry leaves
3 cup	Water
1 stks	Corrainder leaves (chopped for garnishing)

Instructions

Wash and soak Toor dhal (Thuvaram paruppu/kandi pappu ) in water for atleast 1 hour. Then pressure cook it with little salt until you get 3 to 4 whistles from your cooker. Once done and when the pressure releases, open and mash it immediately with spatula or blend well and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add mustard, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida, let them splutter, then add Onions, greeen chilli , garlic, tomatoes, all the vegies except okra(Ladies finger) and fry them for few minutes. To this add tumeric powder, red chilli powder and dhania powder and pressure cook them with salt and 1 cup of water. Do not pressure cook ladies finger this may turn the sambhar very mushy and sticky, so instead, shallow fry them seperately in a pan and keep aside. Now transfer all the contents to a regular deep sauce pan, mix cooked dhal or paruppu , tamrind pulp , sambar powder and  salt, bring it to a boil and reduce to simmer. When it reaches desired consistency garnish with corrainder leaves.