Morning Breakfast is an important meal for the family. A simple hot breakfast will kick start the day with lots of energy. To decide on the menu for the weekday breakfasts is really challenging. Whether its a pongal, kichidi, idli , dosa, vada or any other item, the main accompaniment "Sambar" comes as a rescue. Sambar is a South Indian gravy which combines the goodness of lentils, vegetables, aromatic spices and tangy tamarind extract cooked and simmered on the stove for its delicious taste.
To make my life simpler, I always hunt for short cut ways to satisfy my need. Crockpot / Slow cooker helps me a lot nowadays in my kitchen.
Crockpot Sambar is very easy to make, take less efforts. If you fill your crockpot / slow cooker with all the ingredients, then in the morning, a nice aroma will emanate from your kitchen which in turn will greet you with a steaming smile.
Ingredients
To the Crockpot / Slow Cooker
Shredded Red Onion - 1/2 cup or Small Pearl Onion - 10 or 12.
Shredded Ripe Tomato - 1/2 cup
Shredded Green Bell Pepper - 1/4 cup
Small Brinjal - 1
Green Chillies Medium - 2
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Small Dash
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Toor Dal / Thuvaram Paruppu - 3/4 cup
Moong Dal / Payatham Paruppu - 1/4 cup
Water - 6 cups
Tamarind Extract - 1/2 cup ( Not too thick, medium thickness is enough )
For Tempering / Tadka
Ghee / Clarified Butter - 1 tbsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash
Mustard Seeds - 1.5 tsp
Methi Seeds / Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilli - 1
Fresh Curry Leaves - 1 Stem
Sambar Powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Towards the End to Slow Cooker
Salt - As Required
Water - As required to adjust the consistency level.
Ghee - 1 tsp for flavour.
Jaggery - small cube
Coriander Leaves - To Garnish.
Method
- First cut the vegetables as specified and keep the other ingredients handy.
- Add all the ingredients as mentioned under "To the Crockpot / Slow Cooker". Allow them to cook under "High" for 7 to 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, check the slow cooker. By this time, the gravy would have been mushy and well cooked.
- Finish the tempering / tadka in a separate pan. When its sizzling, pour the tadka over the sambar.
- Add the other ingredients mentioned under "Towards the End to Slow cooker".
- Allow the sambar to cook for another 5 minutes under "Low".
- Garnish with coriander leaves on top and enjoy this warm hotel sambar with any of your favourite tiffin.
Tips / Suggestions
- If you want to serve Sambar for breakfast, then you can set the Slow cooker in the night before going to sleep. If you need this for dinner, set the slow cooker after breakfast to High.
- Sambar will not overflow or spill from the Crockpot / Sambar while cooking on High setting. So, no need to worry.
- Add salt before adding tadka / tempering.
- Moong dal enhances the taste of the Sambar, enriches its texture. So, dont forget to add.
- Do not forget to add Jaggery into the Sambar.
- I added a tsp of Tamicon to half a cup of water, diluted it and added to the Sambar. It tasted well though. So, its your choice. You can either add real tamarind juice or Tamicon.
