Tomato Sambar
Sambar comes in several varieties — lentil sambar, vegetable sambar, tomato sambar, and idli sambar. Whichever you make, dipping hot idli or vada in sambar and savouring it with chutney is considered a heavenly experience in South India.
Ingredients
- For sambar powder: coriander seeds – 1/4 tablespoon
- Chana dal – 1/4 tablespoon
- Urad dal – 1/4 tablespoon
- Cumin/jeera – 1/4 tablespoon
- Curry leaves – 2 to 3
- Dried red chili – 2 to 3
- Coconut oil – 1/2 tablespoon
- Asafoetida/hing – 1/10 tablespoon
- For tomato sambar: shallot – 1/2
- Chili – 1/2, slit
- Tomato – 1/2, chopped
- Carrot – 1/5, chopped
- Potato – 1/4, cubed
- Beans – 1.25, chopped
- Drumstick – 1.25, chopped
- Brinjal – 1.5, cubed
- Turmeric powder – 1/10 tablespoon
- Jaggery – 1/6 tablespoon
- Salt – 1/4 tablespoon
- Water – 1/4 cup
- Tamarind extract – 1/5 cup
- Toor dal, boiled – 1/4 cup
- Coriander, finely chopped – 1/2 tablespoon
- Sunflower oil – 1/2 tablespoon
- Mustard – 1/4 tablespoon
- Fenugreek – 1/10 tablespoon
Method
- 1
For sambar powder: fry all its ingredients in coconut oil for 2 to 4 minutes, one by one, without burning. Grind to a slightly coarse powder.
- 2
Heat 1/4 tbsp sunflower oil in a large pan, add some sambar powder and wait until it splutters.
- 3
Add shallots and chili; sauté until they develop colour. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté until soft.
- 4
Add the chopped and cubed vegetables and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- 5
Add jaggery, salt, and water; mix well and cook covered for 10 minutes.
- 6
Add tamarind extract, cook another 10 minutes with the lid closed.
- 7
Add boiled toor dal and adjust consistency with more water.
- 8
Add 1.5 tablespoon more sambar powder and let it boil. Add curry leaves and cook two more minutes.
- 9
Turn off the flame after 3 minutes. Serve hot with idli, vada, dosa, or rice.
