Arachuvitta sambar

Ingredients

• ½ cup toor dal
• A lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup warm water
• 2 cups mixed vegetables (drumstick, brinjal, shallots, pumpkin)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste
• For the paste: 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp chana dal, ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, 4 dried red chillies, ¼ cup grated coconut, 1 tsp oil
• For tempering: 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, a pinch of hing, curry leaves
• Coriander leaves to finish

Method

1. Pressure-cook the toor dal with turmeric until soft and mash it well.
2. In 1 tsp oil, roast the coriander seeds, chana dal, fenugreek and red chillies until golden. Add the coconut and roast for a minute more, then grind to a smooth paste with water.
3. Squeeze out the tamarind and boil the extract with the vegetables and salt until the vegetables are cooked and the raw smell of tamarind is gone.
4. Add the ground paste and mashed dal. Add water to get a pouring consistency and simmer for 5–7 minutes.
5. Heat oil, crackle the mustard seeds, add hing and curry leaves and pour over the sambar. Finish with coriander.
6. Serve with rice and ghee, or with idli and dosai.