Sambhar

Ingredients

• 2 cups toor dal
• 8 ounces vegetable drumsticks
• 1 medium onion
• 1 large potato
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• sambhar masala (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened dried shredded coconut
• 3 tablespoons jaggery
• 1 inch ball wet tamarind pulp
• salt (to taste)
• 3 tablespoons ghee (purified butter)
• 1 teaspoon asafetida powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• 6 curry leaves
• 4 dried red chilies (whole)
• fresh cilantro

Directions

1. 1

   Chop all the vegetables finely. Drumsticks should be kept 2 inches long. Put veggies in a pressure cooker with the Toor dal and turmeric powder. Add enough water to cover the vegetables. Cook for about 20 minutes.

2. 2

   While this is cooking soak the Tamarind in warm water. With your hand, loosen the pulp in the water then remove the pods.

3. 3

   Open the pressure cooker and check the dal to make sure it is thoroughly cooked. Add about 2 heaping tablespoons of Sambhar masala. Also add the coconut, jaggery, tamarind water, and salt to taste. Stir.

4. 4

   Heat the ghee in a small pan, add asafetida powder and cumin seeds. Allow to splutter. Add the curry leaves, red chillies, cilantro, 1 teaspoons of sambhar powder. Add to mixture.

5. 5

   Add salt, extra Sambhar and jaggery as needed. Make sure the mixture is very soupy. Serve with Idli and coconut chutney. Yum!