A tangy, lightly spiced lentil and vegetable stew souring with tamarind, built around toor dal and a spoon of sambar powder. The everyday accompaniment to rice and dosa across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra.
Soak the tamarind
Soak the tamarind pulp in a little warm water and set it aside to soften.
15 minCook the dal
Cook the toor dal with the turmeric and enough water until completely soft and mashable.
20 minSimmer the vegetables
In a separate pot, simmer the mixed vegetables with the tamarind water, sambar powder and salt until the vegetables are tender.
15 minCombine and simmer
Add the cooked dal to the vegetables and simmer everything together until it thickens slightly into a stew.
10 minTemper the spices
Heat the oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, fenugreek, dried red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida, and let them sizzle.
1 minFinish
Pour the tempering over the sambar, simmer for two more minutes to blend the flavors, and garnish with coriander.
2 minNo reviews yet — be the first to cook it.