When it comes to south Indian cuisine you cannot miss the sambar. Spicy, tangy lentils and vegetable stew with a special south Indian masala and tempering most popular in south Indian cooking.
There is 100's of varieties of sambar. One of the popular vegetable used to make sambar is okra. To avoid the slimy from okra we have to saute the okra in a teaspoon of oil and the add to the lentils.
Nowadays you can get sambar powder anywhere in the world but, if you couldn't get it the most simple way is a combination of chili powder+corinderpowder+cumin powder in 1:1 1/2:1/2 ratio. The asafetida powder added to the sambar gives a special aroma to the dish.
A good sambar is a combo to everything in south India. It is served at any time of the day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for idli, dosa, idiyappam, ven Pongal, rice or even with curd rice.
Ingredients
- Okra - 15 to 20nos(cut into medium size pieces)
- Toor dal - 3/4cup
- Onion - 1medium no(chopped)
- Tomato - 1medium no(chopped)
- Mustard seeds - 2tsp
- Fenugreek seeds - 2tsp
- Tamarind extract - a small piece soaked in water and extracted
- Sambar masala - 2 1/2tbsp
- asafetida powder - 1tsp
- Turmeric - 1tsp
- curry leaves - optional
- Salt to taste
- Oil as needed
Instructions
- In a pressure cooker the toor dal until they are softened and keep it aside.
- Heat a tbsp of oil in a kadai and add okra, cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the okras in the cooked dal and add 1 to 2 cups of water
- Add the salt, turmeric powder, and sambar powder, and asafetida powder, cook for 5 to 8 minutes till the okra is cooked and keep aside.
- Then, add the tamarind extract and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Now, heat the oil in a kadai and splutter the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
- Add the chopped onions and saute until light brown.
- Add the tomatoes to the onion and cook until softened.
- Now, pour the dal okra gravy in the onion-tomato mix and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, till the sambar is well boiled.
- Serve with rice, ven pongal, idli or dosa.
Cooking Tips
- If you don't have sambar powder you can use chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder in 1:1 1/2:1/2 ration.
- Don't over cook the lentils. It will mushy and sambar will be smooth and won't taste good.
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