South Indian Meal - Part Four - Sambar

Well here it is! The final installment to the perfect, well balanced, impressive and very tasty South Indian meal! Sambar is a hot, spicy, very flavourful lentil soup. I would say that this part is probably the most time consuming, and has the most obscure ingredients (to some), but a good sambar really completes this meal. It's is perfect for dipping your dosa into, because as your dosa will very quickly cool down, the sambar will stay hot and will add warmth to your dosa. Also, the dosa and filling is relatively dry, so it's nice to have a hot liquid to sip on from time to time. You can also get creative with the vegetables that you add to your sambar, depending on what you like and what is in season.

This recipe uses a lentil called toor, which may be difficult for some of you to find. I have never tried any other lentils in this recipe, but I have a strong hunch that it just won't cut it. Make a trip to the indian grocery store and get this particular dal. Or ask your indian neighbour for some?

The best sambar I ever made was in a slow cooker. Start it up in the morning before work or school, and come home to the scents of clove and cinnamon simmering away! But I wont be talking about that method because I am not sure how many of you have a slow cooker.

Now, if you don't have a pressure cooker, you will have to cook the lentils in a pot separately beforehand. Boil them until they are soft, I am guessing this will take almost an hour, but not sure because I always pressure cook them!

Also, it is best to use a heavy bottomed pot for this so that the toor dal does not burn or stick!

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 onion, diced
2 large tomatoes or equivalent, diced
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 cloves, pressed or grated garlic
10 curry leaves
1 cup toor dal, cooked until mushy - either boiled or in pressure cooker
3 cups water
2 tbsp sambar powder OR combo of 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp turmeric
3 whole cloves
3 pods of cardamom, crushed in a mortar and pestle
1 large stick of cinnamon
1 tbsp of tamarind paste OR wait until the end and add 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cups of chopped veggies such as - squash, green beans, carrot, potato, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower - any hearty veggie!
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

Directions
1. Heat oil on high heat, add cumin and mustard seeds.
2. When they pop, lower heat to medium, add onions and a dash of salt.
3. When onions are translucent (about 3 minutes), add ginger and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Increase heat to high and add tomatoes and curry leaves. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring pretty constantly.
5. When tomatoes are soft and mushy, add the toor dal, water and all spices, mix well and cover. Reduce heat to medium.
6. Allow flavors to meld together and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Stir every once in a while to prevent sticking.
7. Add vegetables, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
8. Add salt to your taste. Try the dal at this point to see if you would like it a little more sour (add more tamarind or lemon juice), or more spicy (add more sambar powder or chilli powder).
9. garnish with cilantro and enjoy!!!