Tiffin Sambar (Restaurant Style)

I had posted a few Sambar Recipes earlier – some to serve with steamed Rice and some to serve with Idli, Dosa etc. If you have the Sambar in a restaurant, the taste will be different from the Sambar that is made in a regular South Indian home. This recipe is for the sambar that will tast exactly as the one in restaurants.

Ingredients:

Pigeon Pea Lentil (Tur Dal) – ¼ cup

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp + ¼ tsp

Yellow Pumpkin (Bhopla)- 150 Gms (cut into cubes)

Green Chilli – 2 (broken)

Crushed Ginger – 1 tsp

Shallots (Sambar Onion) – 10 (skinned)

Tamarind – size of a small ball (soaked in warm water)

Curry Leaves – from 2 twigs

Red Chilli Powder – ½ tsp

Sambar Powder – 2 tsp

Coriander Seed Powder- ½ tsp

Jaggery (Gur) – 1 tbsp

Roasted Fenugreek Powder – 1/8 tsp

Onion – 1 (chopped into pieces)

Chopped Coriander Leaves – 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

For Tempering:

Oil – 1 ½ tbsp

Mustard Seeds- – 1 tsp

Red Chillies – 2 (broken)

Split Black Gram (Urad Dal) – ½ tsp

Cumin Seed – ½ tsp

Onion – 1 (finely chopped)

Hing (Asafoetida) – one pinch

Method:

Pressure cook the Dal with ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, Green Chilli, Yellow Pumpkin, Shallots, Onion , grated Ginger with 2 cups of water for 4 to 5 whistles or till the Dal becomes soft.

Mash it well and keep aside.

Extract the juice from the Tamarind to the water in which it is soaked and keep it aside.

Heat the Oil in a deep pan. Add Mustard and allow it to crackle. Add the Red Chillies, and Urad Dal. And after a few seconds, add the Curry Leaves and the finely chopped Onions. Stir fry them till the Onion becomes translucent.

Add the Tamarind water, Red Chilli Powder, Sambar Powder, Turmeric Powder and Coriander Seed Powder. Add Salt and one cup of water. When it comes to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes in medium flame.