Pumpkin Sambar

 Ingredients

• White Pumpkin-3/4 cup (cubed pieces)
• Onion -1 
• Tomato-1
• Tur Dal -1/3 cup (Soak it in warm water for 15 minutes)
  
• Sambar powder - 2 tsp
• Tamarind- small lemon sized ball
• Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp
• Salt - as needed 
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds -1 tsp
• Hing/Asaefoetida- a generous pinch
• Red Chilli -1
• Fenugreek seeds-1 tsp  
• Curry leaves -2 sprigs
• Coriander Leaves - finely chopped 

Preparation Method

1. Soak tamarind in 1 1/2 tumbler of hot water and extract the juice. Discard the pulp.
2. Pressure cook  tur dal by adding turmeric powder for 3 whistles. Mash it well and keep it ready.
3. Peel the skin, discard the seeds and cut ash gourd into cubes. Chop onions and keep it aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add fenugreek seeds, red chilli, Hing and curry leaves.
5. Saute for a few seconds and then add chopped onions. Saute onions until it turns transparent, then add chopped tomatoes, pumpkin pieces and saute for a few seconds.
6. Add 1/2 cup of water, sambar powder and cook until pumpkin is half done.
7. Once the pumpkin is half cooked, add tamarind extract and salt needed.

   Keep it on medium flame and boil until the raw flavor of the tamarind goes. By this time the pumpkin will also get cooked well.
8. Add cooked toor dal along with needed water (approximately 3/4 cup) and boil for 5-6 minutes on medium flame. The consistency of this sambar should neither be thick nor thin, so adjust water accordingly.
   
9. Hot delicious pumpkin sambar is ready to be served with hot steaming rice. It can be had with idly and dosa also. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or idli, dosa.