Sambar Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Arhar dal (toor dal or split pigeon peas)
• 2 ½ cups Water, for cooking dal
• 1 teaspoon Salt, for cooking dal
• 2-3 teaspoons Tamarind, Soaked in ½ cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 Green chili, slit
• 1 cup Shallots, chopped, or use red onion
• 1 medium Tomato, ⅔ cup chopped
• 2 sticks Drumsticks, around 100 grams
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ – 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
• 2 teaspoon Jaggery (Gur)
• 2 cups water, for cooking vegetables
• 2 tablespoons Sambar powder
• ½ – 1 cup Hot water, to adjust the consistency later (if needed)

For Tempering:

• 1 tablespoon Oil, or ghee
• 1/8 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
• 1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
• 2 Dried red chilies
• 8-10 Curry leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take tamarind and soak it in hot water for around 10 minutes. After that squeeze out the pulp using your finger and thumb.
2. Rinse/wash the toor dal with tap water 2-3 times or until the water is not cloudy anymore. Transfer rinsed dal along with fresh water and salt into a container (that you use for PIP cooking).
3. Turn on the instant pot with saute mode. Add oil and once it is hot, add turmeric powder and green chili.
4. Add shallots, tomatoes, and drumsticks. Saute for 2 minutes or until shallots start to soften.
5. Strain the tamarind pulp directly into the veggies using a strainer. Press the remaining pulp using a spoon and extract every bit of juice and discard the leftover pulp.
6. Add salt, red chili powder, and jaggery. Mix well.
7. Add Water and stir. Turn off the saute mode.
8. Place a tall trivet in the center. Place the toor dal container on the trivet. Cover that container with a lid.
9. Cover the instant pot with a lid and keep the valve position to sealing.
10. Pressure cook on manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes. Let the pressure go down by itself aka NPR (natural pressure release). Once the pin drops, open the lid.
11. Remove the dal container lid and puree it using a hand blender. Or simply whisk it using a wire whisk until smooth.
12. Remove the dal container and check the veggies, they should be cooked to perfection.
13. Add sambar powder and mix.
14. Add cooked, pureed toor dal and mix well. Turn on the saute mode again and let this mixture simmer for 5-7 minutes. If it looks too thick then add some hot water and continue simmering.
15. To make tempering, heat the oil in a small tadka pan. Once hot add methi seeds and fry until golden brown.
16. Add mustard seeds and saute until it starts to splutter.
17. Add dried red chilies, hing, and curry leaves.
18. Immediately add this tempering to cooked sambar and mix.

NOTES

1. Use seasonal vegetables. You can use any mix of veggies from okra-bhindi, gourds (bottle gourd-lauki, ridge gourd-turai, snake gourd-chichinda, ivy gourd-tendli), pumpkin-kaddu, eggplant-baingan, green beans, carrot, potatoes, radish (white mooli). Depending on what you choose, it imparts its flavor and taste in the dish so choose accordingly.
2. Shallots (or onions) and tomatoes are a must in sambar. Play with other veggies combos.
3. Adjust the amount of tamarind based on how sour your tamarind is. Fresh (yet dried) tamarind is less sour compared to aged dried tamarind.
4. If sambar gets more tangy then add some more jaggery and sugar to balance the tanginess.
5. Always add sambar powder after pressure cooking to retain its flavor and aroma.