Seasoned Sambar
Ingredients:
- red chillies 12
- mustard 1/2 tsp
- fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp
- a pinch of asafoetida powder
- green chillies 4
- a few curry leaves
- tamarind the size of a small lemon
- vegetable 100 gm
- salt to taste
- thoor dal 100 gm
- rice flour 1/2 tsp
- a few coriander leaves
- a pinch of turmeric powder
- oil for frying
Method:
Cook the dal and keep aside. Take a thick-bottomed vessel with a capacity of atleast 1 litre and soak the tamarind in it in a little water and keep aside.
Cut the vegetables into bite sized pieces and keep aside(or) fry and keep aside(or) cook seperately, drain and keep aside. Halve the red chillies and keep aside.
Slit the green chillies and keep aside. Pour a little water on the rice flour so that it just dissolves; mix well so that it does not get lumps and keep aside.
Squeeze out the tamarind, retaining the tamarind and water solution; dilute this solution with 1/2 litre of water. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add halved red
chillies, mustard, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida powder; when the fenugreek seeds turns golden brown, add the green chillies and curry leaves and saute a little and empty
the entire contents of the frying pan into the vessel containing the tamarind and water solution. Add the vegetable to the seasoned tamarind and water solution and simmer the solution
until the vegetables are cooked and/or the aroma of tamarind subsides. Empty the cooked dal into the simmering solution and bring to a boil. Add the rice flour solution to the boiling
tamarind and water solution and stir well; shut off the flame whenthe solution begins to thicken. Add salt to taste and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.