Sambar is one of the pillars of south Indian cuisines. There are different ways to make sambar and here I have given one of the basic methods with a slight difference. This method was taught to me during my early days of marriage by my dear friend Poongodi and this is the way I make sambar now and it is extremely delicious and flavorful and not to mention, very easy and quick. When you add everything in the pressure cooker while cooking the dal, the flavor intensifies resulting in a lip smacking sambar.
And Radish Sambar is my absolute most favorite! Especially Ven Pongal with this sambar!!
RADISH SAMBAR
Preparation time - 10 mins | Cooking time - 20 mins | Serves 3-4 people
Ingredients needed
Method
1. Wash and soak the toor dal for about 1 hour in hot water. Chop the onions, tomatoes and radish and set aside. Soak a lemon sized tamarind and extract thick tamarind extract.
2. In a pressure pan, take the soaked toor dal and push it along the sides. In the middle, keep a vessel with holes. Fill it with cut radish and tomatoes. Add some tomatoes to the dal as well.
3. Add about 1 cup of water slowly to the sides of the pressure pan. Now add all the masalas, garlic, hing and salt to the dal. Mix well. Add the curry leaves and some coriander leaves too.
4. Close the cooker and cook for 3 - 4 whistles.
5. Once the pressure settles, open the cooker and remove the center vessel slowly and drain all the water out. Set it aside. Mash the dal with a hand blender until smooth and even.
6. In a kadai, heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and red chillies.
7. Add the chopped onion and saute until the onions turn translucent.
8. Now add the mashed dal to the onions. Also add the cooked radish and tomatoes.
9. Add the tamarind extract and mix well. Add about 1 cup of water to dilute the sambar.
10. Let it cook for 3 minutes. Check for salt, add more if needed.
11. Add a dollop of ghee and some chopped coriander leaves and switch off.
2. Use thick tamarind extract.
3. When dal is being cooked in the pressure cooker add a tsp of oil to prevent overflow while the whistle goes off.
4. Instead of adding ghee at the last, you can temper with ghee itself instead of oil.
5. I use a vessel with holes to keep the vegetables to cook. If you don't have such kind of a vessel, you can use any vessel.
6. The amount of water you add depends on the thickness and consistency of the sambar you prefer.
And Radish Sambar is my absolute most favorite! Especially Ven Pongal with this sambar!!
Preparation time - 10 mins | Cooking time - 20 mins | Serves 3-4 people
- Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
- Radish - 2
- Onion - 1
- Tomatoes - 3
- Sambar powder - 2 tbsp
- Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
- Dhania powder - 1 tsp
- Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
- Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
- Cumin powder - 1 tsp
- Thick tamarind extract - 1/2 cup
- Curry leaves - few
- Garlic - 5 pods
- Hing - 3 pinches
- Salt - to taste
- Sukku powder - 1/2 tsp
- Coriander leaves - a handful
- Ghee - 1 tsp
- Oil - 1tbsp
- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
- Cumin seeds(optional) - 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves - 1 sprig
- Red chilli - 2 or 3
1. Wash and soak the toor dal for about 1 hour in hot water. Chop the onions, tomatoes and radish and set aside. Soak a lemon sized tamarind and extract thick tamarind extract.
2. In a pressure pan, take the soaked toor dal and push it along the sides. In the middle, keep a vessel with holes. Fill it with cut radish and tomatoes. Add some tomatoes to the dal as well.
3. Add about 1 cup of water slowly to the sides of the pressure pan. Now add all the masalas, garlic, hing and salt to the dal. Mix well. Add the curry leaves and some coriander leaves too.
4. Close the cooker and cook for 3 - 4 whistles.
5. Once the pressure settles, open the cooker and remove the center vessel slowly and drain all the water out. Set it aside. Mash the dal with a hand blender until smooth and even.
6. In a kadai, heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and red chillies.
7. Add the chopped onion and saute until the onions turn translucent.
8. Now add the mashed dal to the onions. Also add the cooked radish and tomatoes.
9. Add the tamarind extract and mix well. Add about 1 cup of water to dilute the sambar.
10. Let it cook for 3 minutes. Check for salt, add more if needed.
11. Add a dollop of ghee and some chopped coriander leaves and switch off.
Notes
1. Once you get the basics down, you can change the amount of every ingredient as per your taste.2. Use thick tamarind extract.
3. When dal is being cooked in the pressure cooker add a tsp of oil to prevent overflow while the whistle goes off.
4. Instead of adding ghee at the last, you can temper with ghee itself instead of oil.
5. I use a vessel with holes to keep the vegetables to cook. If you don't have such kind of a vessel, you can use any vessel.
6. The amount of water you add depends on the thickness and consistency of the sambar you prefer.
Until next time,
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