Ingredients:

• Toor Dal – 1/2 cup
• Garlic flakes – 2 to 3
• Tomatoes – 2 medium cut into medium sized pieces
• Onions – 1 medium (sliced long) (if using, Sambhar small onions – around 8)
• Curry Leaves – a few
• Coriander Leaves (Cilantro) – a few
• Green Chillies – 2 small (optional)
• Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp
• Sambhar powder – 2 tsp (if not available, substitute with 1 tsp of Chilli powder and 1 tsp of Coriander powder)
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind – a pinch (soaked in water) or 1/4 tsp of tamarind paste
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Urad dal – 1/4 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Veggies – Can use any of the following veggies or a combination of some – Carrot, Brinjal, Drumstick, Chow Chow/Bangalore kathirikaai, Radish, Ash Gourd, Greens, Mango, Ladies finger

Method:

Pressure cook the dal with garlic flakes, asafoetida and turmeric powder adding required amount of water (for 1/2 cup of dal, add around 1.5 cups of water). Mash the dal well with a wooden spoon. If there is a lot of water in the dal, drain it separately and then mash the dal. The water drained can be added to rasam (will give it a very good flavor) or add it later to the sambhar mixture when it is boiling.

In a pan, heat the oil, splutter the mustard seeds, add urad dal and fenugreek. Then, add in the onions, saute for a while. Then, add the curry leaves, tomatoes, green chillies and saute. Then, add the veggies and mix well. Add to this, the sambhar powder and salt and mix well. Add in enough water for the veggies to cook. Once the veggies are cooked, add the tamarind extract to this and bring to a boil. Finally, add in the mashed dal and cilantro and bring the whole mixture to a boil. Note that you can make sambhar with just tomatoes (and without any other veggies) and also without any tamarind extract and just using green chillies. Each of these methods bring a different flavor to the sambhar. Also, each of the veggies bring a unique flavor to the sambhar.