Sambar.txt

Sambar recipe

1.Before we begin making sambar, it always helps to soak tamarind in water earlier. So soak 1 tablespoon tamarind in ⅓ cup hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
2.Once the tamarind gets soft, then squeeze the tamarind in the water itself. Discard the strained tamarind and keep the tamarind pulp aside.
3.Rinse ½ cup tuvar dal (100 grams) a couple of times in water.
4. Drain all the water and add the dal in a 2 litre pressure cooker. Also add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
5. Add 1.5 to 1.75 cups of water and mix.
6.Cover and pressure cook dal for 7 to 8 whistles or 10 to 12 minutes on medium flame.
7.When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid and check the dal. The dal should be completely cooked and mushy. 
  Mash the dal with a spoon or wired whisk. Cover and keep aside.
8.When the dal is pressure cooking – rinse, peel and chop the vegetables. When making sambar, chop the vegetables which get cooked faster in large sizes like pumpkin, brinjals, okra, drumsticks etc.
  Vegetables which take more time to cook are to be chopped in small sizes like carrots, potatoes, etc.  
9. Take 1 to 1.5 cups chopped vegetables in a pan or pot. Also add 6 to 7 pearl onions or 1 small to medium onion (thickly sliced) and 1 small to medium tomato.
10.Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder and salt as per taste.
11.Add 1.5 to 2 cups water and stir. Add enough water so that they cover the vegetables.
12.Keep the pan on a stove top and begin to cook vegetables on a medium-low to medium flame in between do check when the vegetables are cooking.
13.Cook till the vegetables are almost done. Ensure that you don’t overcook the vegetables.
14.Then add the tamarind pulp.
15.Stir well.
16. Next add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons sambar powder. At this step you can also add ½ to 1 teaspoon of jaggery powder. 
17.Stir and mix well again.
18.Add the mashed dal.
19. Mix very well. If the consistency looks very thick, you can add some water. You can easily adjust the quantity of water and make medium to thin consistency of sambhar.
20. Simmer on a medium-low flame till it comes to a boil. Stir at intervals. You will see a frothy layer on top when the sambar begins boiling.
    At this step switch off the flame. Cover and keep aside. Check the taste and add salt if required.
21.Thats the way you can cook your favorite sambar.