With this simple recipe, you can make a flavorful, substantial, and nutritious South Indian vegetable-lentil stew. Serve the sambar with South Indian snacks like idli, dosa, medu vada, and uttapam, or simply with rice for a hearty, healthy lunch.

 

Ingredients:

For tamarind pulp:-

• 1 tablespoon tamarind
• ⅓ cup hot water

 

For cooking dal:-

• ½ cup tur dal or arhar dal 
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1.5 to 1.75 cups water

 

For cooking vegetables:

• 1 to 1.5 cups chopped vegetables like okra, french beans, potatoes, small round brinjals, pumpkin
• 1 to 2 drumsticks – scraped and chopped in 3 to 4 inches sticks.
• 6 to 7 pearl onions
• 1 tomato 
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder 
• ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
• salt as required
• 1.5 to 2 cups water or add as required
• 1 to 1.5 tablespoons Sambar Powder

 

For tempering:-

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil 
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 to 2 dry red chillies 
• 10 to 12 curry leaves
• 2 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 5 to 6 fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) – optional

For garnish:

• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) – optional