Sambar Recipe | Tamil Nadu style (without Coconut)

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Toor Dal
• 1 lime sized ball Tamarind
• 15 Sambar onion
• 2 Tomatoes
• 2 Green Chilli
• 3 Garlic Clove
• Vegetables like potato, carrot, radish, drumstick
• 2 Tsp oil
• 1 Tsp Mustard Seed
• 1 Tsp Fennel seeds
• 1 Tsp Cumin 
• 2 Tsp Sambar Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Asafoetida
• Salt as per Taste
• Chopped Curry leaves
• Chopped Coriander leaves

Preparation Method

1. Soak the tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes. Kneading with your fingertips, extract juice and discard pulp. Keep aside.
2. Heat the pressure cooker in low flame, put 2 Tbsp oil and then add mustard seeds,1 Tsp Fennel seeds 1 Tsp Cumin and add curry leaves. After a minute, sprinkle finely chopped 15 small onions into the cooker and add 3 Green Chillies
3. Fry the chopped onions until it gets a brownish colour and then add 2 finely chopped tomatoes.
4. Mash the mixture in the cooker gently, mash (and cook) the tomatoes until it becomes mediumly mashed and then add salt to taste.
5. Add then add a cup of dal with 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder and one glass of water.
6. Close the cooker with lid, do not put on the weight yet.
7. After steam is visible (will take up to 5 minutes), put the weight onto the pressure cooker.
8. Wait until the third whistle of the cooker, at this point switch off the flame.Leave the cooker untouched for about 15 mins.
9. Now, once the 15 mins ends, open the cooker, add Tamarind juice, and 2 Tsp Sambar powder and 1/4 Tsp Asafoetida.
10. Add vegetables like potato, carrot, radish, drumstick etc can also be added to the sambar with 2 glass of water.
11. Keep the cooker in low flame (no need to close the lid of the cooker) for another 15 mins. After 15 mins, add few coriander leaves and then switch off the flame.
12. Sambar is ready, Now serve with idli, dosa, vada or boiled rice!