Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup toor dal (1/2 lb)
- 2-3 potatoes, washed
- 2 drumsticks, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 2-3 small eggplants, cubed
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green chili, slit lengthwise
- 2-3 tomatoes, cut into medium size pieces
- 1 medium radish, washed, skinned and cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
- 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp sambar powder
- 4 cups water
- A large marble size tamarind, mixed with 1/2 cup hot water and then strained
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely pounded
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 springs curry leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Method:
- Pressure cook toor dal, potatoes and drumsticks (3 whistles). When done, keep toor dal and drumsticks aside. When cooled, skin the potatoes and cut them into 1 inch cubes
- In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and saute eggplants, garlic and green chili for 1 minute. Add a few tbsp of water and cover the pan and cook it for 4-5 minutes, till eggplant is mostly cooked.
- To the pan, add cooked toor dal, potatoes, drumsticks, radish, salt, sambar powder and 4 cups water and bring to boil. Bring down the heat to medium-level and cook it for 4-5 minutes
- Add the tomatoes and tamarind water and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add more water as necessary
- In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee. Fry mustard and cumin seeds and as mustard seeds start popping, add fennel seeds and fry till aromatic (make sure it doesn’t get burnt)
- Add onion and curry leaves and saute till onion is golden brown and then transfer it to the boiling sambar
- Add coriander leaves and boil for 2 minutes
- Serve hot with idli, dosa or rice
Serves: 4
Inspiration source:
South Indian Cookbook by Devagi Sanmugam, Page 142