Hotel Style Sambar

Ingredients

• - 1/2 cup toor dal
• - 250g mixed vegetables
• - Lemon-sized tamarind
• - 2 tbsp sambar powder
• - 1/4 tsp turmeric
• - 2 tsp oil
• - 1 tsp mustard seeds
• - 2 dried red chillies
• - 1 sprig curry leaves
• - Salt to taste
• - Fresh coriander

Method

1. Cook toor dal: Wash 1 cup toor dal. Pressure cook with 2.5 cups water and half tsp turmeric for 4 whistles. Mash very smooth — hotel sambar has a silky texture.
2. Soak tamarind: Soak a lemon-sized tamarind in 1.5 cups warm water 15 minutes. Extract pulp and strain.
3. Prepare vegetables: Dice 1 potato, 1 carrot and 5 beans into small pieces. Add 5-6 peeled shallots whole.
4. Fry shallots and tomato: Heat 2 tbsp oil. Fry shallots 5 minutes. Add 3 chopped tomatoes and cook 8 minutes until very soft.
5. Add tamarind and vegetables: Add tamarind water, diced vegetables, half tsp turmeric, 1.5 tsp red chilli powder, 1.5 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp sambar powder and salt. Boil 12 minutes until vegetables are soft.
6. Add mashed dal: Add mashed toor dal. Stir well. Adjust consistency with water.
7. Simmer long: Simmer 12-15 minutes on low heat — hotel sambar needs longer cooking to develop its depth.
8. Make tempering: Heat 2 tbsp oil. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds, then cumin seeds, then 2 dried red chillies and curry leaves.
9. Add tempering: Pour tempering into sambar. Finish with 1 tsp ghee.
10. Serve: Adjust salt. Hotel style sambar is thicker, richer and more complex than home sambar. Serve with idli, dosa or steamed rice.