Mixed Vegetable Sambar
Mixed vegetable Sambar is a spicy lentil soup with a subtle sour flavour where dal is cooked with assorted vegetables, sambar powder and tamarind pulp.
Servings: 6 to 8 serving
Ingredients
- ½ cup split red gram/Tuvar dal washed and soaked in water for 10 minutes
- 2 cups water to pressure cook dal
- Gooseberry sized tamarind soaked in half a cup of water and microwaved for a minute
- 1 ½ cup mixed vegetables of your choice chopped to bite sized pieces
- 1 cup of water to boil the vegetables
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- For the seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 dry red chilli
- A generous pinch of asafoetida
- A sprig of curry leaves
- Other ingredients:
- 1 medium sized onion slit lengthwise
- 1 medium sized tomato chopped
- 2 teaspoons sambar powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Required salt
- 2 Tablespoons of finely chopped coriander to garnish divided
Instructions
- Pressure cook soaked dal along with 2 cups water for about 3 whistles over high heat and the simmer for 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
- Open the lid once the pressure subsides and mash it.
- In the mean time extract tamarind juice by squeezing it with hand and discard the pulp.
- Microwave the vegetables in a cup of water along with red chilli powder and little salt (excluding onion and tomato pieces) for about 5 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and season it with mustard, cumin and red chilli. Once they splutter add asafoetida and curry leaves.
- Add sliced onions, stir for a minute till translucent and then add chopped tomatoes.
- Add sambar powder, turmeric, required salt and stir well till the tomatoes are mushy.
- Now add cooked vegetables, tamarind extract and stir well
- Add the mashed dal and mix well. Add water to get the desired consistency, adjust salt and allow it to come to a boil.
- Add some chopped coriander and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the dal doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander and serve hot sambar with your favourite breakfast delicacies like idli, dosa, vada, pongal, paniyaram along with peanut chutney or onion chutney…..or just have it with steamed rice.
Notes
For faster cooking you can increase soaking time of the lentils in water for 30-45 mins before cooking them.
You can adjust spice levels and tanginess to suite your taste but the salt should be adjusted proportionally.
You can cook the vegetables in the pressure cooker to preserve the nutrients of the vegetables.
You can adjust spice levels and tanginess to suite your taste but the salt should be adjusted proportionally.
You can cook the vegetables in the pressure cooker to preserve the nutrients of the vegetables.