There are two versions of sambar and the first one is the one in which a fresh paste is made and the second one is one in which you use sambar powder (previously made).This post is about the former which is with coconut paste.
For the paste
Roast in oil:
- 2 tbsp chana dal,
- 3 tbsp dhaniya seeds(corrainder seeds)
- 1/2 tbsp methi seeds
- 5-6 red chillis.
Grind the above with one cup fresh/packed shredded coconut and a little water.
The sambar
- Cook 1.5 glasses of tur dal in a pressure cooker.Give 3-4 whistles so that it is totally smashed.
- Take 2 tbsps oil in a pan/kadai.
- When it is hot, add to it one tbsp rye/mustard, 1 tbsp methi seeds, 1 tbsp urad dal, 1 red chilli.
- After mustard splutters add chopped vegetables for sambar.Approx 2 cups. You can add radish if you want radish sammbar or for vegetable sambar add potatoes,capsicum,carrot,onions all cut in medium sized blocks.
- add tumeric, salt and chilly powder to the veggies and let it roast for 5 mins.
- Meanwhile in a big pan add a spoon of tamarind extract dissolved in 300 ml of water.Chop 2 small tomatoes and add to the water.
- Add half spoon chilly powder,half spoon tumeric powder and salt to the water. Add the roasted vegetables and the paste too.
- Let the water boil .Once the vegetables are fully cooked in the tamarind water, add the steamed dal.Add dal according to the consistency of sambar you desire.
- Once the sambar has boiled garnish with corrainder and serve hot with steamed rice :)
