Sambar

Ingredients

• 200g toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp sesame oil, for the dal
• 1 walnut-sized ball of tamarind, or 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 small onion or 12 shallots, peeled
• 1 carrot, cut into batons
• 1 small aubergine, cut into wedges
• 8 okra, topped and halved
• 1 drumstick, cut into 5cm lengths (optional)
• 1 tomato, quartered
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp jaggery, grated
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, for the tempering
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 2 dried red chillies
• 15 fresh curry leaves
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, for the sambar powder
• 1 tsp chana dal, for the sambar powder
• 1 tsp urad dal, for the sambar powder
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, for the sambar powder
• 5 dried red chillies, for the sambar powder
• 3 tbsp grated coconut, for the sambar powder
• 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, to finish

Before you cook

• Rinse the toor dal until the water runs clear.
• Soak the tamarind in 200ml of hot water for 20 minutes, then squeeze out the pulp and discard the fibres.
• Cut all the vegetables into pieces of roughly the same size so they cook evenly.

Steps

1. Put the dal in a pressure cooker with 600ml of water, the turmeric and the sesame oil, and cook for 12 minutes at high pressure. In an ordinary pan, simmer covered for about 45 minutes until collapsing.
2. Whisk the cooked dal smooth with a wooden spoon or a hand blender and set it aside.
3. Set a dry frying pan over a medium heat and add the coriander seeds, chana dal, urad dal, fenugreek and dried chillies for the sambar powder.
4. Roast the spices for 4 minutes, shaking the pan, until the lentils are golden and the room smells toasty.
5. Add the grated coconut and roast for 2 minutes more, until it turns light brown.
6. Grind the roasted mixture to a fine powder, then add 4 tablespoons of water and grind again to a paste.
7. Pour the tamarind water into a large pan, add the onion, carrot, aubergine and drumstick, and bring to the boil.
8. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the raw smell of the tamarind has gone and the vegetables are nearly tender.
9. Add the okra and tomato and cook for another 5 minutes.
10. Stir in the ground sambar paste, the salt and the jaggery, and simmer for 5 minutes.
11. Pour in the whisked dal along with 300ml of hot water and stir to a pourable, ladle-coating consistency.
12. Bring the sambar back to a gentle boil and let it bubble for 5 minutes so everything comes together, then take it off the heat.
13. Heat the coconut oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds.
14. When the seeds pop, add the asafoetida, dried chillies and curry leaves and fry for 15 seconds.
15. Pour the tempering over the sambar, scatter over the coriander and cover the pan for 5 minutes before serving with rice.