• Every South Indian household has it's own variation of Sambhar and our household has its own, that has been passed down the genrations over the years. This is the way my grandmother used to make it and before her, her mother and her mother and so on! I hope you do give this recipe a try and also relish it as we have been doing for years.
• Now for the recipe!
• Soak the dals for 1 hr and then pressure cook with 1 cup water for 5-6 whistles. The water should be 1 inch above the dal. I have used a combination of toor dal, moong dal and masoor dal here. You can make your own combination. However, add 2 cups water if using only moong dal or a combination of moong and toor dal.
• Now open the cooker after all the steam has gone out and mash the dal with the back of a large spoon or whisk it with a whisk until the dal is smooth and mushy. Keep aside.
• Wash and chop the vegetables and keep aside. Vegetables traditionally used in a sambhar are red pumpkin, drum sticks, madras onions (shallots), brinjal (eggplant), lady's finger (okra), carrots and french beans. I usually use red pumpkin, drum sticks and shallots. However, feel free to make your own combination.
• Now to begin with the preparation, take a deep pot and strain in the tamarind extract into it. You can see this post for how to make tamarind extract. Add 1 cup water to the extract, salt to taste and 2-3 tbsps sambhar powder and bring it all to a boil. I use a homemade sambhar powder, however you can use any store bought brand as well.
• Once the tamarind water comes to a boil, add in the washed and chopped vegetables. Make the flame medium to low and let the vegetables cook in the water for 10 mins.
• After 10 mins, add in the mashed dal and mix. Add 1 cup water or more as required to adjust consistency. Check for salt again and adjust if required. Add in the jaggery and mix.
• Make the flame high and let the dal cook with the vegetables for 2-3 mins.

Preparing the tempering

• While the dal is cooking, let's prepare the tempering.
• Add 1 tbsp oil to a tadka pan and let it become hot. Once hot add in mustard seeds and wait till they crackle. Then add in, methi seeds, hing and curry leaves and saute for 5 seconds until the curry leaves turn crisp. Now switch off the flame and add the red chillies to the tadka or tempering and saute 2 mins.
• Now this tempering immediately over the cooking sambhar and switch off the flame. Immediately cover with a lid for 2 mins to let the smokiness and flavors of the tempering to get properly infused in the sambhar.
• After 2 mins, open the lid and give the sambhar a good mix.
• Lastly garnish with chopped coriander.
• Hot, tasty, comforting South Indian sambhar is ready!. Serve hot with steamed rice or as an accompaniment to idlis, dosas or medhu vadas. Happy eating !
Though I have mentioned jaggery as optional, please do not skip the jaggery if you can. Jaggery really helps balance all the flavors in the sambhar - tangy, spicy and savoury and adds that extra zing.