Sambar

Ingredients:
Red gram dal (tur dal) picked
over & rinsed
½ cup
Water 2 cups
Tamarind pulp, lemon- sized piece
Hot water 1 cup
Green chillies, slit sideways 2 nos.
Chopped mixed veg 1 cup (e.g. onion, radish, potato etc,)
Water 1 cup
Ground turmeric ½ tsp.
Sambar powder 3 tsp.
Rice flour (optional) 1 tbsp.
Extra water 2 tbsp.
Small bunch of coriander
leaves, chopped to garnish
Salt As per taste

For Tempering:
Brown mustard seeds 1 tsp.
Asafoetida powder ½ tsp.
Fenugreek seeds ½ tsp.
Cumin seeds ½ tsp.
Red chilli, halved 1 no.
Oil 1 tbsp.
A few curry leaves

Procedure:
1. Wash red gram dal well. Drain. Place dal in a heavy saucepan. Cover with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. When boiling, cover pan with a lid, leaving slightly ajar. Lower the heat, and simmer dal gently for 1½ hours. Set dal aside without draining.
2. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup hot water for 15 minutes. Strain the tamarind water into another container, squeezing as much liquid as possible out ot the tamarind pulp. Discard the pulp. Set the juice aside.
3. Select enough vegetables to fill approx.1 cup when chopped. Peel and prepare as necessary. Chop into 1 cm ( ½ in) pieces. Set aside.

TEMPERING:
1. Heat 1½ tbsps. oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the mustard seeds, asafoetida power, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, halved red chilli, and a few curry leaves.
2. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the slit green chillies and chopped vegetables. Saute for a couple of minutes.
3. Add tamarind juice, 1 cup water, salt to taste, ground turmeric, and Sambar Powder . Cover and simmer over a low heat until the vegetables are tender.
4. Add the undrained cooked dal. Simmer for 5 minutes, until thoroughly blended. If the sambar needs to be thickened, make a smooth paste of the rice flour in 2 tbsps.extra water. Add to the sambar and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.