Sambar III

1. Rinse the toor dal well, then cook it with the turmeric and the water until completely soft, about 30 to 35 minutes on the stovetop or 3 to 4 whistles in a pressure cooker, then whisk it to a smooth, loose consistency.
2. Soak the tamarind pulp in 150 ml of warm water for 10 minutes, then squeeze and strain to extract the tangy juice, discarding the fibres and seeds.
3. Cut the mixed vegetables into bite-sized chunks and simmer them in a little salted water until just tender, about 8 to 12 minutes depending on the vegetable.
4. Add the tamarind extract, sambar powder, asafoetida and salt to the cooked vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes so the raw tamarind and spice flavours mellow.
5. Pour in the cooked dal, add a little hot water if the mixture is too thick, and let everything simmer together for another 8 to 10 minutes until the sambar is fragrant and slightly thickened.
6. For the tempering, heat the ghee in a small pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, then add the fenugreek seeds, broken red chillies and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds until aromatic, taking care not to burn the fenugreek.
7. Pour the sizzling tempering over the sambar, stir through the chopped coriander, and serve hot with rice or idli.

You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan · Whisk · Pressure cooker