Sambar III
This sambar pairs a pot of melted red lentils with a mix of vegetables and a sour tamarind base. Eggplant, potato, carrot and daikon cook in a tempering of mustard, fenugreek, cumin and curry leaves, so the spice flavor goes into the dish from the first minutes. The chile powder is toasted in the pan oil before the liquid goes in. Ladle it over steamed rice for a filling meal that serves five or six.
Instructions
Bring the lentils and 3 cups of water to a boil, then lower the heat. Stir in the first measure of salt and the asafoetida if using, and simmer until the lentils collapse into a soft dhal.
If you are using tamarind pulp, mix the tamarind mass with twice its volume of water and work it with a fork to loosen and remove the pits. Strain the liquid and set it aside.
Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a large pan and add the mustard seeds. Cook until they pop.
Add the fenugreek, cumin, curry leaves, chile peppers and the second measure of salt, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion and fry until it turns glossy and translucent.
Stir in the garlic, ginger, eggplant, potato, carrot and daikon. Push the vegetables to one side, add the chile powder to the oil at the bottom of the pan, and stir it briefly before mixing everything together. Add the sambar masalar and stir again.
Pour in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the tomato, and the green beans and drumsticks if using, and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the cilantro, the cooked lentils with their liquid, and the tamarind. Simmer until the vegetables are soft, then serve hot over steamed rice.
Real ingredients, clean nutrition.
Plant-based protein, superfoods, and pantry staples made from whole ingredients. Recipes on their blog too.
Browse Sprout Living →Affiliate link · PicksByRecipe may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
