Main Dishes
Sambar
This easy sambar is packed with vegetables and topped with a ‘tarka’ of fried onions with spices. Sambar is vegan and gluten-free, and is traditionally served over rice or with dosas or idlis in Tamil Nadu.
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 100g/3½oz toor dal (yellow split pigeon peas), well rinsed
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 100g/3½oz carrots, cut into 2cm/¾in chunks
- 100g/3½oz pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm/¾in chunks
- 100g/3½oz green beans, cut into 2cm/¾in lengths
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 1½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1½ tsp sugar
- 1½ tsp salt
For the masala
- 50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil
- 1 tsp chana dal
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 4 dried Kashmiri chillies with seeds
- handful fresh curry leaves
- 1 tsp asafoetida
For the tarka
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1½ tsp fenugreek seeds
Method
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For the vegetables, pour 1.5 litres/2½ pints of water into a large, deep pan and bring to the boil. Add the tur dal, onion, carrots, pumpkin, green beans and tomato and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, sugar and salt and simmer gently for a further 15 minutes, or until the dal is soft.
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For the masala, heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the rest of the masala ingredients and fry for 30 seconds to one minute, or until fragrant. Tip them into a spice grinder or mini food processor, along with the oil, and blend to a paste. Stir the paste into the pan of vegetables.
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For the tarka, heat the oil in a clean frying pan over a medium heat and fry the tarka ingredients for 10 minutes, or until the onion is softened and golden-brown. Stir this into the pan with the vegetables, along with any oil, and serve.
Sambar