This delicacy from the South of India is well paired with idli, dosai, vadas, uttapams and rice preparations. The base of this stew is the tuvar or moong dal but different veggies, a special sambhar masala and a tadka with some aromatics make it so special. Above all its sour taste which comes with tamarind/ imli or raw mango is much loved
I prepare this stew quite often in my kitchen by adding various veggies to the cooked toor dal, tamarind/imli and a special homemade sambhar masala. This time I replaced imli with raw mango by taking advantage of its availability these days. The homemade sambhar powder takes this stew to another level. In nutshell, this curry is so magical that it absorbs all the flavours so wonderfully to make it the favourite!
Prep time – 10 minutes Cooking time – 25 minutes Cusine – South India Course – Main Author- Bharti Dhawan
INGREDIENTS
• Arhar/toor/tuvar dal – 1 cup/150 gms
• Water – 3 cups+ 2 cups
• Raw mango – 1 no(chopped into small cubes)
• Drum sticks – 1 no(chopped into 2-inch pieces)
• White pumpkin or ash gourd – 1 cup(cubed)
• Cauliflower – 4-5 florets
• Ginger paste – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Whole red chillies – 2-3
• Turmeric/haldi powder – 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds/rai – 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds/jeera – 1 tsp
• Asafoetida/heeng powder – 1 tsp
• Homemade Sambar Powder
• Curry leaves – 1 small bunch
• Oil – 1 tbsp
STEP BY STEP
1- Next, Add soaked dal, salt, haldi powder and 3 cups of water to a pressure cooker and cook dal for 10 minutes at low medium flame. Switch off the flame and let the cooker cool down completely. Keep cooked dal aside for later use
2- Take a pan or kadahi and add oil. When heated add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, whole red chilly and curry leaves. When they crackle, add asafoetida/heeng powder and ginger paste.
3- Next, add all the veggies including raw mango. Roast all the veggies for 4-5 minutes and add salt. Mix well and cook for a while.
4- Time to add cooked dal and 2-3 cups of water as required
5- Dilute 1 tbsp homemade sambhar masala with 2 tbsp water and add to the sambhar
6- Give a nice stir and transfer this to the pressure cooker again Cover with lid and cook sambhar until 1-2 whistles or for 3-4 minutes and switch off the flame
7- Serve the aromatic sambhar dish with idlis or dosa. I served it with Ghee Roast garlic-Pepper Dosa
