Sukanya's Sambar

Sukanya Balakrishnan

She made it simple enough for even me to understand! An easy and nice sambar recipe.

1. Boil 1 cup of arhar dal and set aside.

2. take hot water and add tamarind the size of a large lime and set aside for a while.

3. In a saucepan take a bit of oil and add 1and a half tablespoons of whole dhania and an equal quantity of red chilies. Fry this till the dhania is reddish brown. Add half a spoon of methi. Fry briefly and then set aside.

4. in a saucepan and add the juice from the tamarind. Add water again mix with the leftover tamarind and empty into the saucepan. Do this 3 times.

5. Once it starts boiling add karipatta, hing, salt and the vegetable. Also add 1 tsp. of sugar. Keep keep on a medium flame till the vegetable is cooked.

6 . Grind a quarter coconut along with the roasted dhania, methi, red chili mixture into a smooth paste.

7. When the vegetables are cooked and the tamarind water has reduced to half the quantity that you started with, add the paste.

8. Boil for another 5 to 6 minutes.

9. Now add the cup of arhar dal which has been mashed to a paste and boil for another 2 to 3 minutes.

10. Make a tadka with mustard seeds and add to the Sambar. Close the lid of the saucepan to hold in the flavors.