Sambhar

Description

 * Ethnicity - South Indian
 * Type of meal - Party, Lunch, Dinner

Ingredients 'A'

 * ½ bitter gourd (pavakkai)
 * 1 brinjal (egg plant)
 * 1 drum stick
 * 4 ladies finger
 * 4 red chillies (split into 2)

Ingredients 'B'

 * 1 cup sambar dal (red gram dal)
 * 1 sprig curry leaves
 * ½ tsp turmeric powder
 * 1 cup water

Ingredients 'C'

 * size of a golf ball tamarind
 * 1 sprig curry leaves
 * ¼ tsp asafoetida powder
 * 1 tsp red chilli powder
 * ¼ tsp grated molasses
 * 2 tbsp coconut oil
 * salt to taste
 * 1 cup water

Ingredients 'D'

 * ¼ tsp white gram dal
 * 2 tbsp dried coriander seeds
 * ¼ tsp fenugreek
 * 4 dried chilli
 * ½ tsp coconut oil

Ingredients 'E'

 * 2 tsp coconut oil
 * 2 dried chillies split into two
 * 1 tsp mustard

Ingredients 'F'

 * a few coriander leaves

Directions

 * 1) Clean the vegetables and slice into long pieces.
 * 2) Wash the dal.
 * 3) Boil 3 cups of water and cook dal in it. Add turmeric powder and curry leaves into the dal. Keep it aside.
 * 4) Fry the ingredients D in ½ tsp coconut oil. Grind it to a smooth paste and keep aside.
 * 5) Mash the tamarind in 1 cup water and strain.
 * 6) Boil the tamarind water with red chilli powder, salt, curry leaves, asafoetida and molasses.
 * 7) When it boils, add 2tbs of coconut oil. Add the vegetables except the ladies finger into it. Cook till done and add the prepared dal into it.
 * 8) Bring to a boil and add the ladies finger and the ground masalas. Remove from fire after boiling.
 * 9) Season with mustard seeds and dried chillies. Sprinkle the Sambar with chopped coriander leaves.
 * 10) Note: Various vegetables like potato, carrot, radish, tomato etc can also be added to the sambar.