Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Sambar (pigeon pea soup)



This is very common gravy of South Indian cuisine. Variants can be made with lots of different vegetables like spinach, potato, eggplant etc. Sambar masala can be made from raw spices and is easily available in any Indian grocery store. My mom makes the sambar masala and I just use that. The ones available in stores also works well. You can have sambar with idli, dosa, rice, medu wada or batata wada.

Nutrition value of pigeon peas

- 2 cups toor dal pressure cooked with 4 cups water
- 1 medium size onion chopped
- 1-2 tomato chopped
- Tamarind paste 3 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoon Sambar masala ( available in Indian grocery store)
- Salt
- Lauki (bottle gourd) peeled and cut in cubes- 1 cup
- Turmeric powder
- Red (whole) dried chili 3-4
- Red chili powder 1 teaspoon
- Curry leaves 4-5
- Oil 3 tablespoon

1. Add water to lauki and cook in microware for 7 minutes
2. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and let crack
3. Add curry leaves and red whole chilies
4. Add turmeric powder and red chili powder
5. Add onion, tomato and lauki, cover and cook for 5 minutes or till onion and tomato is cooked
6. Add sambar masala and red chili powder
7. Add toor daal and stir well
8. Add tamarind and season with salt
9. Bring to boil and remove from heat, garnish with chopped coriander leaves

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