Sambar

Ingredients:

1. Toor dal - 1 cup.
2. Mixed Vegetable (okra,brinjal,ash gourd,carrots,drumstick,shallots,tomato).
3. Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch
4. curry leaves - 2 springs
5. Asafotida/Hing - 1/2 tsp powdered
6. fenugreek seeds/methi- 1/4'th tsp
7. mustard seeds- 1/4'th tsp
8. jaggery - a little (optional)
9. tamarind - to taste(1 gooseberry sized ball soaked in water or 1/2 tsp tamarind paste)
10. coriander powder - 3 TBSP
11. chilly powder - 2 TSP
12. turmeric powder- 1/4'th tsp

Method :



Pressure cook the toor dal with water until it is mushy.
Add all the veggies to this dal water and start cooking (don't pressure cook) add veggies that take longer to cook first.
meanwhile heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and then the methi seeds and the dry red chilly turn the flame to the lowest setting and add the powders and asafotida (it shouldn't get burnt) and stir well in the oil.
Add this masala into the vegetable dal mixture and mix well.
Add tamarind to taste and cook until the vegetables are cooked.
add a bit of jaggery to balance the taste and then turn off the flame and add chopped coriander leaves and keep the sambar covered for 30 minutes for the flavours to blend.


I personally prefer to have my veggies still holding their shape and not mushed up so I fry onion,okra and tomato separately in a pan with some of the powders and add it to the cooked veggies at the end rather than cook it with dal.It is not necessary but I prefer it done that way.You should be able to taste the hing and methi very slightly.