Amma is our inspiration for cooking healthy. Here is a healthy and tasty recipe of Sambar which is one of the first recipes I learnt from Amma. It is different from the normal Sambar as the recipe does not use green chilly/red chilly and tomato which is normally a part of any Sambar.
You will need:
Beans about 250 gm or more
1 cup of toor dhal or any lentil (preferably unpolished) washed, soaked overnight and washed before use.
Water sufficient quantity
Salt to taste
Jaggary to taste
For the masala
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds or Jeera
3-4 fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp peppercorns
a pinch of hing or Asafoetida
1 teaspoon tamarind pulp
Half a coconut grated or cut into small pieces
Seasoning
Musatrd seeds 1/4 tsp
Unrefined oil 1/2 tsp (I use coconut oil)
Turmeric 2-3 pinches
Curry leaves 5-6
Method
Wash beans and cut its ends. Cut each into 2-3 pieces (or to your liking)
Pressure cook soaked and washed toor dhal with beans and water (approximately double) up to 3 whistles.
In a small cast iron skillet, dry roast (low flame) the spices for masala. Add in the following order- pepper, fenugreek, cumin, coriander. Stir gently till the sweet aroma of toasted spices hits your nose. Now add a drop or two of coconut oil and a pinch of hing or asafoetida. Turn off the flame, stir well.
Blend coconut, roasted spices, tamarind with a little water till you obtain a fine paste.
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Take the cooked lentil and beans from the cooker, transfer into a bigger vessel add salt and jaggary to taste and bring to a boil. Turn down the flame and add the spice-coconut masala, mix well and adjust taste
.It is time to turn off the flame when you see the Sambar begin to boil at the sides ( this is exactly what Amma showed me when I watched her cook).
For seasoning heat oil in the skillet, add mustard seeds. when they pop, add curry leaf, turmeric powder, mix well.
Add to the Sambar, stir well and serve hot with rice, chapati or bread.
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