South Indian sambar

Finger licking taste... Indeed one of the best dish I made with my crazy (funny) girls. xoxo

Ingredients

Red gram lentils : 1 cup
Onions : 1 no
Carrots : 2 nos
Brinjal/ Aubergine : 3 nos (small) or 1 no (big)
Tomatoes : 2 nos
Tamarind pulp : 2 teaspoon (thick) or 3 teaspoons (thin)
Sugar : 1/2 teaspoon
Oil : 1 teaspoon
Garlic : 2 cloves
Turmeric powder : 1/2 teaspoon
Chillies powder : 1/2 teaspoon (adjust to taste)
Sambar powder : 2 teaspoons (quantity may vary with different powders)
Salt : to taste
Coriander leaves : to garnish

For tempering

Oil : 1 teaspoon
Garlic : 2 pods
Cumin seeds : 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1 teaspoon
Dry red chillies : 3 nos
Desiccated coconut (Dry/Fresh): 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida : 2 pinches (optional)
Curry leaves : fist full

Procedure

Chop onions and tomatoes into 1 inch cubes, cut carrot and brinjal/ aubergine into 2 inch long slices. Cook the lentils until soft and keep it aside. In a deep pan add 1 teaspoon oil then add 2 thinly chopped garlic pods fry for 30 secs then add all the vegetables, salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder, water (depending on the consistency you like) and cook until vegetables are soft. Mix the cooked lentils with the vegetables and add chillie powder, tamarind pulp, sugar and water and let them cook on a medium flame for 10 min.

Finally temper the sambar, in a pan add oil and when hot add thinly chopped garlic and fry then add cumin seeds, mustard seeds let them splutter, add dry red chillies, asafoetida, coconut powder and lastly curry leaves and fry for 1 min then add it to the sambar. Check for salt and chillie add if necessary.

Serve hot with rice