Sambhar | Chef Jaaie | South Indian Recipes | Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana

Ingredients

½ cup split pigeon peas (tuvar dal/arhar dal), soaked

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

4 tablespoons oil

1 lemon sized ball tamarind

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

4 whole dry red chillies, broken

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)(optional)

¼ teaspoon asafoetida

4 green chillies, slit

10-12 curry leaves

2 drumsticks,

2½ inch pieces

1½ teaspoons sambhar powder

Salt to taste

Method

1. Pressure-cook the dal in two and half cups of water with turmeric powder and one teaspoon oil for three whistles. Open lid once the pressure has reduced. Mash the cooked dal lightly with a wooden spoon.

2. Soak tamarind in one-cup warm water, extract pulp and set aside.

3. Heat the remaining oil in a thick-bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter add dry red chillies, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida.

4. Stir and add green chillies, curry leaves and drumsticks and cook for one minute on medium heat stirring briefly.

5. Add sambhar powder, salt and one cup water.

6. Reduce heat and simmer for six to eight minutes or till drumsticks are cooked. Add tamarind pulp, boiled dal and simmer for two to three minutes.

7. Serve hot with steamed rice.