Ingredients

  • Sambar onions/Shallots/small onions – 15-20 peeled and chopped
  • Tomato – 2 medium chopped
  • Tamarind extract – ½ cup from a marble sized piece of tamarind
  • Moong dal/Paasi paruppu – ¼ cup boiled and mashed
  • Jaggery – 1-1/2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 1 stem
  • Sambar powder – 2-3 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil – 3 tsp

Sambar powder Ingredients

  • Red chillies – 4
  • Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
  • Cumin – 1 tsp
  • Channa dal/Kadalai paruppu – 1 tbsp
  • Black gram/Urad dal – 1 tsp
  • Whole Black peppercorns – 1 tsp

Method

  1. Rinse the moong dal in 2-3 changes of water and cook with turmeric powder and water till completely soft. Mash the dal and set aside.
  2. In a kadai, heat 1 teaspoon oil and roast the ingredients under sambar powder till the dals turn red. Remove from fire. Cool and powder.
  3. In the same kadai/skillet add another 2 tsp of oil and when hot add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves. Then add the chopped shallots and fry till they turn translucent. Then add the tomatoes and fry for a minute till they turn soft.
  4. Pour in the tamarind extract and mix well. Add the ground sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Cover and cook till it thickens to a gravy consistency. At this stage add the mashed dal and jaggery and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot with Idli or Pongal.

Recipe credits : http://foodbetterbegood.blogspot.in