Arachuvitte Sambar

Ramesh Jayaraman

Serves two
1 sm katori of Toor Dal boiled till soft and set aside.

Take a tsp of Tamarind Paste in a bowl.  Add a few tablespoons of hot water and set aside.   Add a few tablespoons of hot water to a tsp of uncooked rice in another katori and set aside

Any one Vegetable chopped in large pieces - Brinjal, Radish, Drumsticks, Capsicum, baby onions or Ash Gourd - 10-15 small pieces

In a saucepan saute the vegetable along with a few curry leaves for 5 minutes.  Add the tamarind, a tsp of salt and 500ml of water bring it to a boil and then let it simmer till the level of water reduces by half.

In the meantime prepare the Paste
5 Red chillies
1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds
6-7 pcs Methi Seeds ( excess makes the sambar bitter )
1 tsp Uncooked Rice pre soaked in hot water
1 Tbsp Heaped Grated Coconut
1 Pinch of Asafoteida

Set aside the soaked rice and coconut.  Roast the rest of the ingredients with a few drops of oil and then grind all them together into a paste and set aside.

Once the tamarind water reduces by half, add the boiled toor dal and the paste and bring it to a boil once more and take off the flame.

The last thing that needs doing is a tadka.  Take a tsp of oil (or ghee) in a small kadai.  When it is hot add a tsp of mustard seeds.  When they start to splutter add 5-6 Curry leaves and a pinch of Asafoteida (Hing).  Remove from the flame and add to the Sambar.  Close the lid on the Sambar to retain the aroma of the tadka.