Veggie Foodie

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:

1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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
4. Add the tomatoes and tamarind water and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add more water as necessary
5. 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)
6. Add onion and curry leaves and saute till onion is golden brown and then transfer it to the boiling sambar
7. Add coriander leaves and boil for 2 minutes
8. Serve hot with idli, dosa or rice

Serves: 4

Inspiration source:

South Indian Cookbook by Devagi Sanmugam, Page 142