Kathirikkai, avarakkai and murungakkai (brinjal, broad beans, drumstick) is one of the popular combination for making sambar. I made this sambar using freshly ground sambar powder which makes it more tastier. It is a perfect combination with rice as well as idi/dosa.
For those who doesn’t know about sambar: Sambar is a staple food in the Southern parts of India. Vegetables are cooked with lentils and spices and served with boiled rice or idli/dosa.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Spice level: 3.5 out of 5
Ingredients:
- Broad beans (avarakkai) – 1 cup
- Brinjal (kathirikkai) – 4
- 2″ long drumstick (murungakkai) pieces – 7 or 8
- Toor dal – 2/3 cup (133 gram)
- Tamarind juice – 1 cup (from a small lime sized tamarind ball)
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Roast and grind:
- Oil – 3/4 tsp
- Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
- Chana dal – 1 tbsp
- Urad dal – 1 tsp
- Dry red chilies – 7 or 8 (adjust to taste)
- Curry leaves – 5 or 6
- whole black pepper – 10
- Oil – 1 tsp (preferably sesame oil)
- Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
- Urad dal – 1 tsp
- A few curry leaves
- A pinch of asafoetida
- One dried chili (optional)
Method of preparation:
Pressure cook toor dal with 1 and 1/2 cups of water and mash it. You can also boil the lentils if you don’t have a pressure cooker.
Wash and cut all the vegetables into long pieces. Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai or sauce pan and add cut brinjal and saute for 2 to 3 minutes over medium high heat. Add cut broad beans (avarakkai) and drumstick. Saute for a couple of minutes and a cup of water with turmeric powder and a little salt.
Let it cook till the vegetables become tender. Now add tamarind juice and allow them to boil for 6 to 8 minutes.
In between, heat oil in a pan and add all the ingredients given under “roast and grind”. Roast till the lentils become golden brown. Turn off the stove and let it cool. Grind it to a fine powder.
Mix it with cooked dal and add this mixture to the kadai along with a little more salt. Add more water and let the mixture boil for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Sambar is ready.
For tempering: Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it crack. Add the remaining ingredients and finally add this to the finished sambar.
Serve hot with rice or idli/dosa.
