Sambar

The chief ingredients are dhal and vegetables such as, brinjal, drum-stick, bitter gourd (pavakkai), ladies finger etc. It is a favorite dish in South India.

Ingredients  

Serves 10

1.	Bitter gourd           -   1/2  Brinjal (egg plant) - 1no Drum Stick             - 1no Ladies finger          - 4nos Red chillies            - 4nos (split into2)
2.	Sambar dal (Red gram dal) - 1cup Turmeric powder -  1/2tsp Curry leaves          - 1sprig Water                      - 3cup	4.	Dried coriander seeds - 2tbs
3.	Tamarind               - size of a golf ball Water                      - 1cup Red chilli powder - 1tsp Salt                           - to taste Curry leaves           - 1sprig Asafoetida powder - 1/4tsp Grated molasses     - 1/4tsp Coconut oil              - 2tbs		White gram dal       - 1/4tsp Fenugreek                - 1/4tsp Dried chilli               - 4nos Coconut oil               - 1/2tsp
		5.	Coconut oil               - 2tsp Mustard                    - 1tsp Dried chillies split into 2 - 2nos
		6.	Coriander leaves      - few

Method of Preparation : 

Clean the vegetables and slice into long pieces.  

Wash the dal. Boil 3 cups of water and cook dal in it. Add turmeric powder and curry leaves into the dal. Keep it aside.

Fry the 4^th ingredients in ¹/₂tsp coconut oil. Grind it to a smooth paste and keep aside.

Mash the tamarind in 1 cup water and strain. Boil the tamarind water with red chilli powder, salt, curry leaves, asafoetida and molasses. When it boils, add  2tbs of coconut oil. Add the vegetables except the ladies finger into it. Cook till done and add the prepared dal into it. Bring to a boil and add the ladies finger and the ground masalas. Remove from fire after boiling. 

Season with mustard seeds and dried chillies. Sprinkle the Sambar with chopped coriander leaves. 

Note : Various vegetables like potato, carrot, radish, tomato etc can also be added to the sambar.