Indian Cooking for Dummies

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Sambar

Now that the rice is ready, let us proceed with the rest of the meal.

Here is a tip: it always helps to save time and energy if all the planning for the next day’s meal is done overnight. Just run through your stock and make a mental note of what you want to cook the next morning and you will get an early start.

Here is the recipe for sambar.

Sambar can be made in two different ways: with readymade sambar powder or ground powder.

Since you are a novice, we will stick to the readymade sambar powder variety with ladies finger and brinjal.

• Thuvaram paruppu (toor dal) - half-a-cup (1/2azhakku)

• Turmeric powder – A pinch

• Tamarind – A small ball

• Sambar powder – Two spoons

• Red chilli – One

• Mustard seeds – Half-a-teaspoon

• Vendayam – Half-a-teaspoon

• Perungayam – A pinch

• Salt – To taste

• Coriander and curry leaves

• Ladies finger – 3-4

• Brinjal – 2

Method:
Pour water into a heavy-bottomed vessel and cook the thuvaram paruppu.

Cut the vegetables into bit pieces and fry them lightly with a little oil in a kadai.

Soak the tamarind in about a tumbler (azhakku) of water and squeeze out the juice.

Add the turmeric powder to this tamarind juice and boil it. Turmeric powder not just adds colour to the sambar but is also capable of preventing diseases and that is why it is added to the dishes.

Wait for the tamarind juice to boil so that it loses its raw smell. Now add the sautéd vegetables and paruppu to the juice and let is boil some more.

Add the sambar powder and salt now and let it simmer.

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When the mouth-watering smell of sambar tickles your nose, fry (thaalithal) the mustard seeds, vendayam, red chilli and perungayam and add them to the sambar. Let the sambar boil for another 10 minutes.

Cut the coriander and curry leaves into small pieces and add to the delicious sambar in the end.

A tip: Make sure that the tamarind juice is thick because that is what decides how thick your sambar will be.

You can use any vegetable for making sambar: carrot, turnip, radish, brinjal, murungakkai or chow chow.

Jayam