Sambhar

Ingredients:

 

Toor dal-1 cup
Onion-1 medium
Tomatoes-2 medium
Red Radish-10 small
Baby carrots-10
Tamarind-lemon size
Jaggery-1'' cube
Salt-to taste
Red chilli powder-to taste
Sambhar powder-1 tbsp or to taste
Curry leaves-10
Hing-1/2 tsp
Turmeric-1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds-1 tsp
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Oil-2 tsp

Method:

 

1. Pressure cook dal with 2 cups of water and for 5-6 whistles. Mash properly and keep it aside.
2. While the dal cooks, cut all the vegetables. You can add whatever vegetables you like. Most common vegetables that are used in sambhar are doodhi (bottle guard) and drumstick. You can skip if you don't have them.
3. Take tamarind in a bowl, add water to cover it and microwave for 2 min. Let it cool before you extract juice of it. You can also use tamarind paste but the taste may be a little different.
4. Take a pan, add oil. After the oil heats up, add cumin and mustard seeds followed by  hing, turmeric and curry leaves. Cook for 30 sec.
5. Add onions and cook until transparent. Now add tomatoes and cook till soft.
6. Add radish and carrot, close the lid and cook for 3-5 minutes.
7. Now add salt, red chilly powder, sambhar powder, jaggery and cook for a minute. Add tamarind juice, mix properly and stir it for 2 min.
8. Transfer the mashed dal and mix properly. Add enough water so as to make it thin (roughly 3-4 cups water).
9. Cover with a lid and let it boil till the veggies are cooked. Adjust for salt and other spices if needed.
10. Sambhar is ready and you can serve it with rice and ghee with papad on the side. Or, sambhar goes best with idlis too!! Enjoy.