Hotel Sambar recipe

    

 Just the uttering of the word "Hotel Sambar" fills my senses with that magical aroma which accompanies the sambar. I have often longed for replicating a hotel sambar at home. One of my relatives always says, the aroma comes due to the simple trick of frying sambar powder in oil & adding it to the concoction, as against the normal homely cooking by adding the raw sambar powder in the boiling tamarind extract and dal mixture. I got reminded of these, when I was watching Samayal Samayal show, where the chef was demonstrating hotel sambar. As a result of the temptation, I jumped in to try this sambar for lunch, with the pre-plan of having the idlies dipped in it for the evening tiffin. :P

Prep Time: 10 mins || Cook Time: 40 mins || Serves: 4 || Category: Sambar / Rice Accompaniment

Ingredients:
1. Toor dal - 100 gm
2. Moong dal - 25 gm
3. Tomato - 2 (small)
4. Shallots - 10
5. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
6. Green chilly - 1
7. Tamarind extract - 100 ml
8. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
9. Kashmiri chilly powder - 2 tsp
10. Salt - as required
11. Sambar powder - 3 tbsp
12. Oil - 3 tbsp
13. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
14. Hing - 2 tsp
15. Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped

Method:
1. Wash toor dal and moong dal together. Add required quantity of water and pressure cook for about 6 whistles.

2. Chop the tomatoes, slit the green chilly & peel the outer skin of shallots. 

3. After 6 whistles, rest the cooked dal for about 20 mins and then mash it well. To the mashed dal, add tomatoes, shallots, curry leaves, green chilly and mix well. Cook for about 5 mins.

4. Add turmeric powder and kashmiri chilly powder.Cook for 5-7 mins allowing the sambar to boil. 

5. Parallely in a kadai, heat oil & splutter mustard seeds in that. Add sambar powder and stir well for a few seconds. Then add hing to the oil and mix well. Switch off the flame and transfer the contents to the sambar. Stir well, bring it to a boil and switch off the flame. Add the chopped coriander leaves and keep it covered.

Suggestions:

• Adding kashmiri chilly powder is optional. It is added for the purpose of giving a bright color to the sambar. 
• The combination of vegetables can be altered as desired. Brinjal, shallots, drumstick and tomato combo gives a perfect taste.
• Adding moong dal gives thickness to the sambar. 

Tastes great with Rice, Idli, Dosa etc.

Araichu Vitta Sambar

     This is one of the richest and the most aromatic sambars that is made often at home. Soon after the mixie jar is opened after grinding the paste for this sambar, its fine aroma gives a feel that the sambar is already made :P We make this at home whenever guests come or for festivals in addition to making it in the normal days. The combo of this sambar vs Idly or dosa, topped with a drizzle of gingelly oil tastes so heavenly.. :) 
     Though the procedure looks so tedius, its just because of the many pics at different stages. The effort is worth the end product... So trust me and give it a try !!!

Prep Time: 10 mins || Cook Time: 35 mins || Serves: 4 ||  Category: Sambar/Rice Accompaniment

Ingredients:
1. Carrot - 1 Medium
2. Tomato - 1 Medium
3. Corriander seeds - 3 tsp
4. Dry red chillies - 2
5. Kadalai Paruppu (Bengal Gram) - 2tsp
6. Tamarind water - 200ml
7. Turmeric Powder - 1tsp
8. Hing (Asafoetida) - 2tsp
9. Grated coconut - 2-3 tbsp
10. Salt - as required
11. Toor Dal - 100gm cooked
12. Oil - 1tbsp
13. Mustard seeds - 2tsp
14. Corriander leaves - 1tbsp finely chopped

Method:
1. In about a tsp of oil, add corriander seeds and fry them till they are light brown. Similarly fry the red chillies and bengal gram. Cool them down for a while. Add turmeric powder to the tamarind water and bring to a boil.

2. Add sliced carrots to the boiling tamarind water and cook for about 5-7 mins or until they are three-fourth cooked. Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook for about 5 mins or until they turn mushy.

3. Grind the roasted and cooled corriander seeds, bengal gram, red chillies with coconut gratings and little water to a coarse paste. Add hing & required amount of salt to the boiling tamarind water.

4. Mash the cooked toor dal. Add the ground coconut paste to boiling tamarind water and mix well. Cook for about 2-3 mins.

5. Now add the mashed toor dal and mix well. cook for about 2-3 mins or until the sambar turns frothy at the top. Add chopped corriander leaves and switch off the flame. Temper with mustard seeds. 

Suggestions:

• Number of red chillies can be altered according to one's spice level.
• Aside carrot, other sturdy vegetables can also be substituted - potato, drumstick etc.
• Adding tomato is optional.

Enjoy the sambar piping hot with rice & potato fry or with any tiffin item like idly or dosa with a drizzle of gingelly oil :)