Khushnuma Sambaar

AssalamoAlaikum Dosto, ummid hai khoob honge aap sab...aur khuda ka fazal hai ke likhne waali bhi uski panaah may hai...shaayed kuch aur paighaam baaqi hain milne ke, dene ke...jo milega wahi tou butega....


Chaliye aaj phir wahi sambaar banaate hain..jin per madrasi cuisine ko naaz hai...waqi may agar ye sahi tareeqe say bane tou lajawab hai.....ab ye aapke shauq ka hi kamaal hai ke aap isko kya rang dete hain, isme konsa zaayeqa shaamil karte hain....ab ye aapke mizaaj per munhasar hai ke ye sambaar apni konsi shakal ekhtiyaar karta hai...tou phir aaiye chalen apni favourite jagah per, jahaan say insaan ki nashonuma ka raaz khulta hai..." evalution" ki mukhtalif haqeeqaten hain...unme sab say zaruri aapki ghiza bhi hai....

Ingredients

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½ cup split pigeon peas (toor dal)

drumsticks/ ladies fingure/pumpkin/brinjal

½ tsp. turmeric

¼ cup chopped tomato

a small walnut-sized knob of tamarind

2 tablespoons fresh or dry dessicated coconut

2 tbsps. coriander seeds

3 dry red chillies

½ tsp. fenugreek seeds

10-12 shallots or 15-18 pearl onions (skinned and kept whole)

5 green chillies

½ tsp. asafoetida (hing)

12-15 curry leaves

3 tbsps. chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp. jaggery or sugar

½ tsp. brown mustard seeds

2 tsps. oil

salt to taste

Method

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1. Pressure cook the toor dal with 1.5 cups of water, the tomato and the turmeric until soft – 2 or three whistles. (We usually make a triple batch and freeze it in portions for later use)

2. Add ¼ cup of water to the tamarind and microwave for 30 seconds. Let it sit for a few minutes, and extract the pulp.

3. Toast the coconut in a pan until it begins to turn golden, keep it aside. Then toast the red chillies and half the fenugreek seeds for a few seconds, and separately toast the coriander seeds until they turn just a little darker.

4. In 1 tsp. of oil, fry 1 finely chopped shallot, half the curry leaves and the green chillies until the shallot is transluscent.

5. Grind the dry roasted ingredients and the shallot-green chilli mixture with about 2 tbsps. water to form a smooth paste.

6. Heat the remaining (1 tsp.) oil, add the remaining fenugreek seeds and the mustard seeds. When the mustard begins to pop, add asafoetida and the remaining curry leaves, stir for a few seconds, then add the shallots and vegtables cook for 15 minutes.

7. Add the tamarind pulp, salt and the ground paste, cook for a couple of minutes until the tamarind loses its raw smell.

8. Add the cooked dal, bring it to a boil, adjust the level of salt, check if the shallots and vegetables are cooked. Add the jaggery if you wish.

Take if off the heat, garnish with chopped coriander, and serve with rice, idlis or rotis.

Tips for the taste

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Wash a cup of dal and add 3 cups of water and add turmeric powder and a tsp of oil and pressure cook it for 3 to 4 whistles.Then mash it to a fine paste.By adding oil,the dal cooks quickly.

Vegetables Chioces - Onions, Raddish, potato, green peas,drumstick, green peppers(Capsicum), pearl onions,eggplant,pumpkin, chowchow

Add tamarind juice only after the veges are completely cooked.

Fro Instant Sambar Powder

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Ingredients:

Chana Dal 1 tbsp
Toor Dal 1 tbsp
Urad Dal 1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds 1 1/2 tbsp
Black Peppercorns 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tbsp
Whole Red Chillies 5 – 10
Fenugreek Seeds 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp
Oil 1/2 tsp

Method of preparation:

Remove stems and break whole red chillies into small pieces.
Heat half a tsp of oil in a pan, add broken red chillies and fry them just until aromatic or till lightly crisped.
Separately roast all the ingredients except whole red chillies and turmeric powder until aromatic or until lightly golden brown.

Cool all the roasted ingredients to room temperature and grind them together into very fine powder.
Mix in turmeric powder to the ground sambar powder and store tight in a clean jar until use.
Sambar powder stays fresh for around half an year before changing its spice flavors.
Notes: Make sure not to burn any of the roasting ingredients.

Suggestions: If sambar powder is not too spicy for you, add more peppercorns and red chillies to the mix.
Variations: You can mix and match any of the three dals being used in the sambar powder recipe. Also add a tsp of dried curry leaves and half a tsp of asafoetida to the sambar powder.