Sambhar

As promised in the previous post, here is the recipe for sambhar.

Ingredients:

½ cup Tuvar Daal or Toor Daal (Split pigeon peas),
½ Medium Onion, Thinly Sliced,
1 Cup Total of the following Mixed Vegetables: Green Beans, Bottle Gourd, Potatoes, Drum Sticks (if you can find them in the stores in the US)
1 Medium Tomato, Cut into Small Pieces
2 Teaspoon Oil
½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds,
½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds,
¼ Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds 
1/8 Teaspoon Asafoetida
2 Heaping Teaspoon Homemade Sambhar Masala
Juice from ½ lemon or ¼ teaspoon tamarind paste (we don’t use tamarind in our house, so I added lemon).

Method:
Wash the daal, and then add 2 cups of water to it. In another container add cut green beans, cubed potatoes, and cubed bottle gourd. Add very little water (1/8^th cup). Pressure cook the daal and veggies for 5 whistles. Let the pressure cooker cool down completely before opening it.  Now churn the daal and keep it aside.

Heat the oil in a pan. Once hot, add the asafoetida and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to crackle, add the cumin seeds. Cook for 10-15 seconds, and then add sliced onion.  Cook on medium flame until the onion turns translucent. Now add the tomatoes and sambhar masala powder. Mix well and cook for about 2 minutes or until the tomatoes start to soften. Now add the daal, veggies, salt and ½ cup water.  Mix well and taste for salt and pepper. Add some red pepper powder (per your taste). Cook covered for 10-12 minutes.  Turn off the stove. Add lemon juice, mix well again and serve hot with idly or dosa.

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