Onion Saambar
This is a southern Indian creation very similar to a vegetable stew. The base is the consistency of a gravy made with tamarind and toor dal^. A home made mixture of spices are added to the base to create the several distinct flavors.
Pointer 1: Soak fresh tamarind in warm water to extract the tamarind juice.
Pointer 2: Toor dhal^ is the only dhal good for Saambar.
Pointer 3: Shredded coconut ground to a paste along fresh roasted spices is the recipe provided below. It is also the best kind of Saambar choice to be had with idli and dosai.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw toor dhal^
- 1 Tbsp. Saambar mixture^
- 1 tsp. turmeric powder^
- Ping-pong sized ball of fresh tamarind^
- 1/2 a medium-sized red onion, or a cup of
pearl onions
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil or olive oil
- 1 tsp. fenugreek seeds^
- 2 to 3 red chillies^
- 1 Tbsp. fresh coriander seeds
- 1 tsp. chana dhal^
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds^
- 1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut
- 1/4 tzp. asafoetida^
- Salt to taste
- 1 Tbsp. curry leaves, if available
Method:
Rinse lentils. Either pressure cook them, or cook them in a pot until they are soft. Set aside. Soak tamarind in warm water and set it aside for 15 mins. Then, extract the tamarind water to create the base for the saambar. Should be able to extract at least 21/2 cups of tamarind juice.
Place a pot on the stove. Pour the tamarind extract into it. Add the chopped vegetables and let it start boiling. You may also add the salt and the asafoetida at this point.
Toast the red chillies, coriander seeds and chana dhal in a tsp. of oil. Grind them to a paste along with the shredded coconut and set aside. You would need some water to grind these together. Now, add a spoon of oil in a wok and sauté the onions. Add onions to the already cooking vegetables. Let the mixture boil for about 10 mins. Now add the ground paste to the mixture and boil for another 10 mins. Take the cooked dhal, slightly mash it with your hands or you may also use a blender to turn it to a coarse mixture. If it is too thick add a little water. Now pour this into the boiling tamarind mixture with the spices and vegetables. Turn off stove after about 8 mins.
Garnish: Pour 1 tsp. of oil in a little butter melter. Let it warm. Now add the mustard seeds and the fenugreek. After they toast a little and the mustard seeds spurt, add them to the finished Saambar. Now top it off with the curry leaves. Close lid to contain the aroma and flavors of the garnish.
Read Health Benefits
^ Please contact me for any of these ingredients or utensils. |
