Sambhar

Sambhar is a traditional recipe prepared all over TamilNadu, but with very slight modifications. The following sambhar recipe was taught to me by the hubby (since I know nothing about cooking) the very first day I entered my kitchen. Since then, it has become very popular among our guests and some of our friends crave for this sambhar.Easy to make........lovable to eat........ dish.

Ingredients

Toor Dhal - 1 handful
Garlic - 5 pods
Hing - 1/4 sp
Tamarind - 1 1/2 pods
Choice of vegetables - REFER Table below
Tomato - 1
Small onions - 5
Sambhar powder (Aachi / Sakthi) - 1 1/2 to 2 sp
Coriander leaves - To garnish
Salt - To taste
Seasoning:
Oil - 3 sp
Mustard - 1/4 sp
Urad dhal - 1/4 sp
Red chilli - 1 (optional)
Onion - 2 sp
Curry leaves - 10 Nos.

Method

1. Soak tamarind in hot water and extract the tamarind juice.
2. Add toor dhal, garlic and hing  to a pressure cooker along with water sufficient enough to fully cover the ingredients.
3. Cook for 5 whistles till the ingredients are well cooked.
4. Mash them with a 'mathu' so that the dhal is totally mashed.
5. Add the tamarind juice, vegetables of choice (REFER BELOW), tomato, sambhar powder and salt to the mashed items in the pressure cooker with necessary water.
6. Do the seasoning and add to the cooker.
7. Let this boil in a medium heat for about 15 min till the vegetables are cooked.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves.
9. Serve with white rice. Can be taken with dosa also.

Varieties

Name of the Sambhar	Basic vegetable / Ingredient	How to add
Katharikai Sambhar	Brinjal - 3 Nos.	Cut into big pieces & add as such
Urulaikilangu Sambhar	Potato - 2 Nos. medium sized	Cut into big pieces & add as such
Vendaikkai Sambhar	Okra (Ladys finger) - 10 Nos.	Cut into big pieces, dry roast in low heat for 5 min & add
Mullangi Sambhar	Radish - 1 No. medium sized	Cut into thin round slices, dry roast in low heat for 5 min & add
Mochakottai Sambhar	Mochakottai - 1/2 cup	Soak in water overnight, pressure cook & add
Mochakottai Katharikai Sambhar	Mochakottai - 1/4 cup Brinjal – 1 No	Soak mochakottai in water overnight, pressure cook & add. Cut brinjal into big pieces & add as such
Kadhamba Sambhar	Brinjal – 1 Potato – 1 Carrot – 2 (medium) Beans - 5	Cut into big pieces & add as such
Murungaikai Sambhar	Drumstick - 2	Cut into finger lengths & add as such

Kadhamba Sambhar

Urulaikilangu Sambhar

Kathirikai Sambhar

Note

1. Never prepare the sambhar too thick or too watery.
2. Sambhar powder can be replaced by (1 sp coriander powder + 1/ 2 sp red chilli powder + 1/4 sp turmeric powder ). But the taste will be little different compared to using sambhar powder.
3. Garlic is pressure cooked along with toor dhal to ensure even distribution of the garlic, so that everybody gets the garlic effect to avoid any gastric troubles. Also the mashed garlic gives a nice texture to the sambhar.