Here's a simple
recipe to make Idle Sambar (also known as Idli Sambar), which is a popular South Indian dish where soft, fluffy idlis are served with a hearty and flavorful sambar:
Ingredients for Sambar:
Toor Dal (Pigeon Pea Lentils) - 1 cup
Vegetables - (choose your favorites) like drumsticks, carrots, potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes - about 1-2 cups
Tamarind - A small lemon-sized ball
Sambar Powder - 2 tablespoons (store-bought or homemade)
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Water - 4-5 cups
For Tempering:
Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida (Hing) - A pinch
Curry Leaves - A sprig
Dry Red Chilies - 1 or 2
Oil or Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Instructions:
Prepare the Dal:
Rinse the toor dal well and pressure cook it with 2 cups of water, a pinch of turmeric until soft (usually 3-4 whistles). Let the pressure release naturally.
Make Tamarind Water:
Soak tamarind in warm water for about 15 minutes, then extract the juice by mashing and straining it. You need about 1 cup of tamarind water.
Cook Vegetables:
In a large pot, add the chopped vegetables, tamarind water, salt, and turmeric. Bring to a boil and cook until the vegetables are half done.
Combine Dal and Vegetables:
Mash the cooked dal slightly and add it to the pot with the vegetables. Add more water if the sambar is too thick.
Add Sambar Powder:
Stir
in the sambar powder, adjust the consistency by adding more water if needed, and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are completely cooked and flavors meld.
Tempering:
In a small pan, heat oil or ghee. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter, then add cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, and red chilies. Fry for a minute or until the spices release their aroma.
Finish the Sambar:
Pour this tempering over the sambar, mix well, and let it simmer for another 2 minutes.
Serving:
Serve the sambar hot with idlis. You can also serve it with dosa, vada, or rice.
Tips:
Adjust the sambar's thickness by controlling the amount of water; it should be slightly on the soupier side for idlis.
You can add a little jaggery or sugar to balance the tanginess from the tamarind, if you like.
If you don't have sambar powder, you can make a simple version by grinding coriander seeds, cumin, red chilies, and fenugreek seeds.
Enjoy your homemade Idli Sambar!
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