Paruppu Sambar
Ingredients:
- toor dal 75 gm
- a pinch of turmeric powder
- tamarind size of a small lemon
- sambar powder 2 tsp
- oil for frying and seasoning
- mustard 1/2 tsp
- red chillies 4
- fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp
- a pinch of asafoetida powder
- salt to taste
- a few curry and coriander leaves
- tomato 1
- vegetable 100 gm
- rice flour 1/2 tsp
- green chillies 2
Method:
Cook the dal and keep aside. Take a thick-bottomed vessel with a capacity of atleast 3/4 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. Add sambar powder to the tamarind and water solution and mix well so that
lumps are eliminated. 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, empty
the entire contents 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 curry leaves, coriander leaves,
quartered tomato and the slit green chillies to the boiling ingredients. Add the rice flour solution to the boiling tamarind and water solution and stir well to avoid lumping; shut off the
flame when the solution begins to thicken. Add salt to taste and serve hot.