Puducherry Sambar / Pondicherry Sambhar

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: Less than 45 minutes

Serves: 6

Adapted from Aparna's space

Ingredients: 

To Pressure cook:

1 cup toor dal / tuvaram paruppu

2 cups water

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 +1 tbsp oil

For Seasoning: 

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp urad dal

6 dry red chillies, broken into 2 (seeds discarded)

1/2 tsp asafoetida

6 curry leaves

Other Ingredients:

2 big onions, chopped 

2 eggplant and 6 drumstick pieces (or any vegetable of your choice), cut into big pieces

1 big tomato, chopped

1/2 tsp jaggery, optional

1/2 tbsp tamarind pulp

Salt to taste

1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

To Crushed Coarsely:

6 garlic cloves

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds 

1/2 tbsp black peppercorns 

Method: 

1. Pressure cook toor dal, turmeric powder and 1 tbsp oil together for 3 whistles, turn off the heat. let the pressure drop. Set aside.

2. Strain the water out and keep the dal aside.  Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and the urad dal and let them splutter.

3. Add remaining seasoning ingredients, followed by vegetable, chopped onions, chopped tomato, jaggery, salt and the strained water from the cooked dal.

4. Cover the pan and cook till the vegetables are done. Add the tamarind pulp, cooked dal, crushed garlic, cumin and peppercorns and the coriander leaves. Cover the pan for 10 minutes, stir and adjust salt to taste.  Serve with rice.

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