Sambar / Amma's Sambar / Regular Sambar

Sambar was one of the regular item in our daily meal since childhood. My mom never failed to make Sambar in her menu along with rasam. To me, every sambar has its unique flavour due to the addition of different vegetables into it. Taste and flavour of brinjal sambar is different from the taste of lady finger ( Okra ) Sambar. Out of all, small onion sambar scores more marks in all aspects.  If small onion sambar was made, our eyes would automatically roll around for baby potatoes fry. That combo is my all time favourite. In my perspective, white rice with simple sambar and a side of a vegetable curry or kootu is an excellent healthy meal for kids. It gives them good amount of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and energy equally.

I will soon post the Sambar Powder recipe as it determines the taste of the Sambar.

Ingredients

Brinjals - 2 medium size

Drumsticks - 6 or 7 cut into finger size

Toor Dal - 1 Cup

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Sambar Powder - 1.5 tbsp

Sugar - 1 pinch

Salt - To Taste

Tamarind Juice - 1 Cup ( mild juice not very thick )

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds / Vendhayam / Menthilu - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 stem

Dry Red chillies - 2 medium size

Method

1. Wash the vegetables and cut them into desired shapes. Keep the tamarind juice ready. Keep the ingredients ready on the side. Cook 1 cup of toor dal into a smooth paste and add little water to the cooked dal thereby making it into a semi solid state.
2. On a thick bottomed vessel, start making the sambar. First, add the oil and when its heated, add mustard seeds, hing, jeera, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves for tempering.
3. Add the cut brinjals, drumsticks into the oil and fry them for few seconds.
4. Then, add the turmeric powder, sambar powder, sugar and fry them with all the contents, veggies in the vessel. Veggies would get coated with the powders well.
5. Now add the extracted tamarind juice , required amount of salt and some water into the vessel.
6. Close the lid and allow the sambar to cook for 5-6 minutes.
7. You would get a nice aroma of the sambar throughout the kitchen. Check to see if the vegetables are cooked fully.
8. If its done, then add the semi solid dal paste into the sambar. Mix the sambar thoroughly without any dal lumps in it.
9. Allow the sambar to boil for just 1 or 2 minutes. Then switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it with white rice and ghee.

Tips

• As this is a plain, simple sambar which we make on daily meal, I don't suggest any extra powders into it. This is just to enjoy the dal sambar with the real flavour of the sambar powder...
• Don't boil the sambar too much after adding the dal. Just switch off the heat at the right time. In this way, it retains the flavour and consistency well.
• Like this, you can make plain, simple sambar with different vegetables. ( Like Okra sambar, capsicum onion sambar, chow chow sambar, white pumpkin sambar , etc., )