Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups pigeon peas (arhar/tuvar dal)
500 gm shallots, peeled and kept whole
5-6 green chillies, slit
1 tbsp tamarind pulp extract
1 sprig coriander leaves (chopped)
Spice paste:
1 coconut grated
3-4 tbsp sambar powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
a large pinch of asafoetida salt to taste
Tempering:
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp husked black beans (urad dal)
2 dry red chillies, torn into pieces
2 stalks curry leaves
Salt to taste
Method:
Place coconut for the coconut-spice paste in a frying pan over low heat, and dry-roast, stirring constantly, till it turns brown. Cool and grind to a fine paste with 1 cup of water. Mix in spice powders and salt.
Wash dal and place in a pan with onions, green chillies and 2 cups water. Cook over high heat about 25 minutes. Mash when cooked and blend with the spice paste. Add the tamarind extract, bring to boil, add salt to taste remove from heat immediately and sprinkle coriander leaves. Add some biling water if you feel the consistency is too thick.
You can add veggies of your choice (I used drumsticks. chopped tomatoes, diced pumpkin, beans) while sambar is cooked. But make sure you saute all the veggies in oil and add pinch of salt before adding to the sambar
