Sambhar

    Sambhar is a South Indian dish. It is a vegetable stew based on a broth made of tamarind and pigeon peas (toor/arhar daal). It's very popular in the southern regions of India and each state in South India adapts sambhar to its taste and region. You may use a wide variety of vegetables for this dish. Typical vegetables include: okra, carrot, radish, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants. Usually, this dish is served with idli, dosa, or vada. Along with coconut chutney and tomato chutney.


    Ingredients:

• bottle gourd (lauki), chopped - 1/2
• green beans, chopped - 1/2 cup
• potatoes, peeled and chopped - 1 medium
• onions, chopped - 2 medium
• turmeric (haldi) - 1 tsp.
• eggplant, chopped - 1 small
• water - 5 cups
• split pigeon peas (arhar/tuvar daal) - 1 cup
• okra, chopped - 5
• raw green mango, sliced - 1 medium
• curry leaves - 4-5
• salt to taste
• tomato, chopped - 1 medium
• green bell pepper, chopped - 1/2
• Sambhar masala - 1 tbsp.
• imli pulp - 2 tbsp (add as much or as little as you like for sourness)
• garlic, chopped - 1tsp.
• oil - 1 tbsp.
• dry whole chilis - 2-3
• mustard seeds - 1tbsp.
• asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

    Directions

1. Fill pot with the water and set on medium-high heat (if you use a pressure cooker to cook your daal, it will take about 3 minutes). Wash your daal (split pigeon peas) and add to the pot. Add salt, garlic, and turmeric. Bring to a boil.
2. Once it's boiling, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Let it simmer until the daal is soft (about 20 minutes). Stir every few minutes. You can use this time to chop the rest of the ingredients.
3. When the daal is soft, add the vegetables. Cover, and let cook for about 10 minutes. Add the mango slices, cover, and let cook for 10 more minutes (until the vegetables are soft, but still in chunks). Once it's done, turn off the heat.
4. In a separate pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the asafoetida and stir for a few seconds. Add the mustard seeds, chilis, sambhar masala, and curry leaves. Stir for a few seconds. Add the imli pulp and stir for 2 minutes.
5. Add the contents of the pan into the sambhar pot. Mix well and serve hot.