Sambar

Name: Sambar
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: South Indian
Ingredients: 150 g toor dal (split pigeon peas, about three quarters of a cup); 0.5 tsp turmeric powder; 20 g seedless tamarind (about a small lime-sized ball); 2.5 tbsp sambar powder; 12 pcs shallots (Indian small onions, peeled and left whole); 2 pcs drumsticks (moringa pods, cut into 7 centimetre lengths); 2 pcs small purple brinjals (cut into chunks); 2 pcs ripe tomatoes (chopped); 10 g jaggery (optional, grated); 2 tbsp gingelly oil (cold-pressed Indian sesame oil, divided); 1 tsp mustard seeds; 0.25 tsp fenugreek seeds; 2 pcs dried red chillies (broken in half); 2 sprigs curry leaves; 0.25 tsp asafoetida powder (compounded asafoetida often contains wheat flour); 1 bunch fresh coriander leaves (a small handful, chopped); salt (to taste)

Serves 4 · 70 min · South Indian

Ingredients

150 g toor dal
½ tsp turmeric powder
20 g seedless tamarind
2½ tbsp sambar powder
12 shallots
2 drumsticks
2 small purple brinjals
2 ripe tomatoes
10 g jaggery
2 tbsp gingelly oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
2 dried red chillies
2 sprigs curry leaves
¼ tsp asafoetida powder
1 bunch fresh coriander leaves
to taste salt

Method

01
Soak the tamarind Put the tamarind in a bowl with 250 millilitres of warm water and leave it to soften for about fifteen minutes.
02
Pressure cook the dal Rinse the toor dal well, then pressure cook it with 500 millilitres of water, a pinch of the turmeric and a few drops of oil for four whistles, about fifteen minutes.
03
Release the pressure Turn off the heat and let the pressure drop on its own for about ten minutes before opening the cooker.
04
Mash the dal Whisk or mash the cooked dal until it is completely smooth and set it aside.
05
Extract the tamarind Squeeze the soaked tamarind firmly with your fingers, strain the liquid into a jug, and throw away the pulp and fibres.
06
Sauté the shallots Heat 1 tablespoon of the gingelly oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and sauté the shallots for about three minutes until they turn glossy and lightly golden at the edges.
07
Simmer the vegetables Add the drumsticks, brinjals, tomatoes, the rest of the turmeric, salt and the tamarind water, then simmer uncovered for about eleven minutes until the vegetables are tender and the raw tamarind smell has gone.
08
Add the sambar powder Stir in the sambar powder and simmer for about three minutes so the spices cook through.
09
Add the dal Pour in the mashed dal with about 250 millilitres of water and the jaggery, stir well, and simmer gently for about five minutes until the sambar turns frothy on top.
10
Make the tempering Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, then add the fenugreek seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry for about thirty seconds.
11
Finish and rest Pour the sizzling tempering over the sambar, scatter over the coriander, cover the pot and let it rest for about five minutes before serving with rice, idli or dosa.

Method

Soak the tamarind

Put the tamarind in a bowl with 250 millilitres of warm water and leave it to soften for about fifteen minutes.

Soak the tamarind · 15 min

Pressure cook the dal

Rinse the toor dal well, then pressure cook it with 500 millilitres of water, a pinch of the turmeric and a few drops of oil for four whistles, about fifteen minutes.

If you have no pressure cooker, simmer the dal covered in a heavy pot for about forty five minutes, adding hot water as needed, until it collapses completely.

Pressure cook the dal · 15 min

Release the pressure

Turn off the heat and let the pressure drop on its own for about ten minutes before opening the cooker.

Release the pressure · 10 min

Mash the dal

Whisk or mash the cooked dal until it is completely smooth and set it aside.

Extract the tamarind

Squeeze the soaked tamarind firmly with your fingers, strain the liquid into a jug, and throw away the pulp and fibres.

Sauté the shallots

Heat 1 tablespoon of the gingelly oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and sauté the shallots for about three minutes until they turn glossy and lightly golden at the edges.

Sauté the shallots · 3 min

Simmer the vegetables

Add the drumsticks, brinjals, tomatoes, the rest of the turmeric, salt and the tamarind water, then simmer uncovered for about eleven minutes until the vegetables are tender and the raw tamarind smell has gone.

Add a splash of water if the liquid drops below the vegetables. Do not add the dal before the tamarind has cooked out, or the vegetables will stay hard.

Simmer the vegetables · 11 min

Add the sambar powder

Stir in the sambar powder and simmer for about three minutes so the spices cook through.

Add the sambar powder · 3 min

Add the dal

Pour in the mashed dal with about 250 millilitres of water and the jaggery, stir well, and simmer gently for about five minutes until the sambar turns frothy on top.

Sambar should pour like a thick soup. Once it froths, take it off the heat, because boiling it hard for a long time dulls the flavour.

Add the dal · 5 min

Make the tempering

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, then add the fenugreek seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry for about thirty seconds.

Pull the pan off the heat as soon as the fenugreek turns reddish brown. Burnt fenugreek makes the whole pot bitter.

Make the tempering · 00:30

Finish and rest

Pour the sizzling tempering over the sambar, scatter over the coriander, cover the pot and let it rest for about five minutes before serving with rice, idli or dosa.

Finish and rest · 5 min

Sambar

Ingredients

Method

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