Taste & Create: Thali - Sambar

Taste & Create Thali recipe from Seduce Your Taste Buds #4!!

For today's Sambar recipe, you will need 3 teaspoons of yesterday's Sambar Spice powder recipe...

Hand ground Sambar Spice

Sambar, as a general rule is not my favourite way to serve lentils. I chose to make this recipe in the hopes that making my own Sambar, completely from scratch, would teach me otherwise.

It didn't.

Don't get me wrong! This Sambar is lovely! My friends and family think it fantastic! It's just not to my taste...

The original recipe called for "drumstick" which is not something I'd encountered before... PJ offers a variety of alternatives at the end of her post; I used peas because that's what I happened to have at the time.

So today, I will provide you with the recipe and encourage you to come to your own conclusions...

Clockwise from top left: Garlicky Spinach Rice, Aloo Fry and Sambar

1 1/2 cup toor dhal (I used yellow spilt-peas)

1 tomato, roughly diced

1-2 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard

2 red chillies, finely diced

1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

3-5 curry leaves

1 cup onion, roughly chopped

1 cup, peas (or other vegetable)

1/4 cup tamarind juice

Salt, to taste

3 tsp Sambar Powder

Boil the lentils with the tomato in water until cooked. Once cooked, mash together.

Heat oil in a pan and sauté the mustard, chillies, asafoetida, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.

Add in the onion and continue to fry until the onion has browned.

Pour over the tamarind juice and season to taste. Boil until the liquid has reduced by half.

Stir in the sambar powder and mashed dhal/tomato adding a little water if the mixture is too thick.

Bring to the boil, stirring for 4-5 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve with sides of your choice.