From the cuisine of Tamil Nadu

Spice-y Sambhar

Servings : 5 to 6 | Prep time : 15 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes | Course : Main

This is a zesty sambhar recipe that goes well along with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

INGREDIENTS

• Red gram (Tuvar dal) - 1/2 cup

• Ghee - 1 tsp

• Small Onions, roughly chopped - 1/4 cup

• Tomatoes, roughly chopped - 1/2 cup

• Green chillies, roughly chopped - 2 to 3, as required

• Mixed veggies of your choice, cut into one inch cubes - 2 cups

• Tamarind paste, thick - 1 Tbsp

• myleafy Spice-y SAMBHAR MASALA - 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp

• Ghee - 3 Tbsp

• Mustard seeds, black - 1 tsp

• Small onions, roughly chopped- 1/4 cup

• Curry leaves - 10 to 15

• Red chillies, dried - 1 to 2

• Jaggery (optional, but recommended) - 1/2 tsp

• Salt as required

• Heap of love!

METHOD

Step 1 : Pre-cook

Cook red gram with 3 to 4 cups of water, Ghee and turmeric powder if needed, until it turns mushy.

Step 2 : Grind

Add the small onions, tomatoes, green chillies and veggies. Cook well for another 10 minutes or until veggies turn soft. Add in the tamarind paste, myleafy Spice-y SAMBHAR MASALA, jaggery and salt, as required. Mix well to integrate the spices with cooked lentil.

Step 3 : Temper

Pre-heat a separate pan, pour in the ghee and add mustard seeds, followed by curry leaves, red chillies and small onions. Sauté until the onions turn slightly brown. Switch off the flame and pour this entire tempering in to the lentil-vegetable mixture and mix well.

Serve hot with Rice, Idli, Dosa, etc.,

Note: Addition of small onions and ghee for final tempering is much preferable for an enhanced taste. Jaggery adds a sweet note to the dish. In absence, small onions can be replaced with large ones.