Heritage Sambar – South Indian Style

Step 1: Soak Toor Dal

Soak 1 cup of toor dal in water for 1 hour. This helps the dal cook faster and more evenly.

Step 2: Cook Dal with Tomatoes and Spices

Add the soaked toor dal to a pressure cooker. Then, add 5 roughly chopped tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Pour in 3 cups of water.

Step 3: Pressure Cook Dal

Close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook on high flame until one whistle, then reduce the flame to low and cook for an additional 7 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.

Step 4: Prepare Tempering Base

While the dal is cooking, in a separate pressure cooker or pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Once hot, add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds and 1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida. Let them splutter.

Step 5: Sauté Aromatics

Add 8-10 roughly coarsed garlic cloves and 1 sprig of curry leaves to the oil. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant.

Step 6: Cook Pearl Onions

Add 1 cup of pearl onions to the pot and sauté until they become translucent.

Step 7: Add Spices and Tamarind

Add 2 whole red chillies, 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste, 1 tablespoon of red chilli powder, 3 tablespoons of sambar masala, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Mix all the ingredients well and sauté for about a minute until fragrant.

Step 8: Mash Cooked Dal

Open the first pressure cooker and check the cooked dal. Give it a nice mix and mash it lightly to achieve a smooth consistency.

Step 9: Combine Dal and Masala

Pour the cooked and mashed dal into the second cooker with the sautéed masala. Mix everything thoroughly.

Step 10: Add Vegetables

Add 1 cup of cubed red pumpkin, 1 cup of chopped drumsticks, and 1 cup of cubed bottle gourd to the sambar. Mix the vegetables into the sambar.

Step 11: Adjust Seasoning and Cook Vegetables

Add additional salt to taste. Add another sprig of curry leaves. Close the lid of the pressure cooker but remove the whistle. Cook until the vegetables are tender but not mashed.

Step 12: Garnish and Serve

Once the vegetables are cooked, open the cooker. Garnish with 1 sprig of curry leaves and 1/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves. Stir the sambar and serve hot with rice.

• Soaking toor dal for 1 hour helps it cook faster and more evenly.

• Sauté pearl onions until they are translucent to build a good flavor base.

• When cooking vegetables in the pressure cooker for sambar, remove the whistle to ensure they become soft without getting mashed.

• Feel free to add any vegetables of your choice that you have on hand, such as carrots, potatoes, or eggplant.