Kerala Sambar

Sambar is a vegetable stew made with tamarind and vegetables, and is very popular in the cooking of southern regions of India especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Each state in South India prepares it with a typical variation, adapted to its taste and environment.

Ingredients

1.Sambar parippu(dal)- 1 cup

2.Chembu(Taro) -2 or 3

3.Potato-2

4.Payar(Long beans)-10-12 nos

5.Beans -10-12 nos

6.Green chilly-5-7

7.Carrot-1

8.Snake gourd(padavalanga)-1

9.Pumpkin(mathanga)-1 piece

10.Tindora(Kovakkai)-15

11.Onion-1 small

12.plantain(Ethakka)-1

13.Tomato-1 small

14.Lady's finger(Vendakka)

15.Drumsticks(Muringakka)

16.Turmeric powder(1/4tsp)

17-Sambar powder-4-5 tsp

18.Asafoetida(Kayam)-2 pinch

19.Chilly powder-1/2 tsp

20.Coriander powder-1tsp

You can add cauliflower,Yam(chena) etc to the sambar.If you don't have all these vegetables available,don't worry.You can also make sambar with only one veggie.

Preparation

1.Soak 1 cup dal for 30 minutes

2.Soak 1tsp tamarind in hot water

3.Cut all the vegetables.

4.Put the items from 1-12 in to a pressure cooker.
5.Heat up 2 tsp sambar powder ,1 tsp coriander powder,1 tsp uluva powder, a pinch of turmeric
   powder,2 or 3 pinch of kayam and put it in to the pressure cooker along with the vegetables.

6.Add salt stir well. The water level should be slightly less than the level of the vegetables.

7.Close the lid and cook it in medium flame

8.Turn off the heat as soon as the first whistle blows.

9.open the pressure cooker when all the steam inside gets released.

10.Add the tomato,lady's finger(Vendakka) and drumsticks to the cooker.

11.Add 1/2 glass water ,close the lid and cook it in high flame ,till all the vegetables become soft.

12.Now pour the tamarind juice ,salt and stir well.(Oru nellikka valuppathinte thazhe puli eduthu water l ettu vekkuka.puli neeru strain cheythu ozhikkuka.water eduthittu ,discard the tamarind)

13. Add enough water close the lid and boil for 5 more minutes.

14.Garnish with coriander leaves.