IDILY SAMBAR

This is my idli sambar recipe. I prefer idli sambar on the sweeter side, so I add butternut squash or sweet potato and cook it along with the dal. I skip the coriander powder in my Idli sambar, which is a core ingredient in Kerala Sambar. 

INGREDIENTS - 

1. Butternut squash or sweet potato (150 gms.), butternut squash in the winter and sweet potato, orange or white in the summer.
2. medley of  chopped vegetables(250 gms)(I like to use okra, carrots, tomato, potato, onion)
3. handful of  coriander leaves, chopped - renders a nice aroma and taste
4. 1 tsp turmeric powder
5. 1 tsp chili powder
6. 1 tsp powdered asafetida
7. 1/2 tsp fenugreek powder
8. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds(seeds not powder, powder gives a different taste, which I don't like)
9. 1 tsp mustard seeds
10. A handful of coriander leaves chopped 
11. 2 red dry chili
12. wet tamarind, soaked in water as per taste. (15 gms based on sourness)
13. 3 Tbsp. oil
14. salt to taste(1-1/2 tsp)
15.  water or as required

METHOD

• Pressure cook the dal and the butternut squash with 1 cup water on high flame for 3 whistles. No need to add salt to the dal mixture.
  
  
  
  
  

• Prep the vegetables.

• Heat another pressure cooker. I have used a pressure pan for this, so that it's wide enough to cook the vegetables. When the cooker is warm, add 1 Tbsp. oil, when the oil is hot, add the veggies. 
• Sauté for a few minutes, then add the turmeric, chili, and coriander powders. Sauté for a few seconds. Add 2 cups of water and 1 tsp of salt. Don't pressure cook; cook for 5 minutes, then add the tadka and tamarind pulp and cook for 5 more minutes. The carrots should not be soft; they should be firm yet cooked,

• Mash the cooked butternut-dal. Add this to the cooked vegetables and bring to a boil. 
• Heat a small pan for seasoning. When warm, add 2 Tbsp. oil, when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them splutter, then add a Tbsp of finely chopped onions. Turn off the heat. When the onions turn slightly brown, add the fenugreek powder and asafetida. Stir well, then add it to the sambar.
• Check for salt and add tamarind pulp. Stir well and keep covered for at least 15 minutes. After about 15 minutes, taste and add tamarind or salt as needed.                            
•  Turn off the stove, keep covered for at least 30 minutes. Taste test before serving.

NOTES

• I love making sambar with Periyar Sambar Powder. When the sambar starts to boil, it smells like pappadam, and you will really feel like eating rice, sambar, and pappadam. I call it pappadam sambar.
• When seasoning, make sure the oil is hot enough to splutter the mustard seeds and bloom the cumin seeds. The right heat of the oil ensures that the aroma of the seasoning lingers whenever I iterate, whenever the sambar lid is opened, morning or evening. 
• The vegetables in the sambar should be cooked just right to absorb the salt without becoming too soft. You should be able to bite into the carrot. The carrots should not be mushed too soon.