Araithu Vitta Sambar

Ingredients :

Thoor dhal	1 cup
Tomatoe	2 big
Onion	1 medium
Sambar powder	3 tspn
Turmeric powder	½ spoon
Garlic	4 pods
Sambar onion	1 cup
Drumstick	1 – cut into small pieces
mustard	1 tspn
Urad dhal	½ tspn
Curry leaves	few
Gingelly oil	5 to 6 tspn
Salt	To taste
Asafetida	½ tspn
Tamarind water extract	½ cup

For Dry masala:

Coriander seeds ( dhaniya)	2 tspn
Red chilies	3
Gram dhal	1 tspn
Urad dhal	1 tspn
Coconut grating	2 tspn
Curry leaves	As required
Cumin seeds	1/4 tspn

In a frying pan, Roast the ingredients for the dry masala “separately” . Each of them can be roasted for say about 2 mins ( in low flame )and keep aside for to cool. Curry leaves can be added with the coconut grating and roasted. After this is cool Grind it to a coarse powder. Cumin seed alone can be jus roasted after the taking the pan off the flame. The heat is sufficient. If roasted too much it would give a bad flavor.

Method to cook the Dhal:

In a cooker , add the washed dhal, 3 cups of water, 1 chopped tomatoe, ½ the cup of small ( sambar) onions, few garlic pods, 1tsp sambar powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tspn Gingelly oil and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles.

When cooked in open container , tastes even better.

Mash it well with a round heavy karandi once cooked.

Meanwhile in a another vessel heat about a 2 cups of water enough  to cook a drumstick. Cook till the vegetable is 3/4^th cooked and leave aside.

Method :

1.       In a kadai, add the remaining oil, when its heated add mustard seeds, urad dhal and allow till it pops. Then add the remaining garlic pods ( half mashed) then  Asafetida .

2.       Add the big cut onions and fry till light brown, add the curry leaves.

3.       Add cut tomatoes. And mash.

4.       Then add the remaining cup of sambar onions and cook for 3 minutes

5.       Add samabar powder  and  cook in low flame for 2 minutes.

6.       Now add the Drumstick. It is fine if there is excess water in the cooked drumstick. But make sure it is not too much.

7.       Make sure its not too dry. If the water in the drum stick is not enough then add about half a cup.

8.       Now allow it to cook till the oil oozes out of the gravy. Say about 5 minutes in medium flame.

9.       Now add the cooked dhal mixture.  Into the kadai.

10.   Add required water if u feel its too thick. Add required salt.

11.   Now bring the sambar to boil . check for salt. ( boiling time – about 5 minutes )

12.   Now add tamarind extract and leave for about 3 minutes in medium flame.

13.   Finally add the ground dry masala. Make sure no lumps are formed.

14.   Now remove from flame and serve hot with Idly, dosa, Rice,pongal, vada! J

Note: This sambar would taste good even without the dry masala. But u will need to add the red chilies while frying the onions to compensate the spiciness.