Chettinad Sambar With Toor Dal & Mixed Veggies, Cooked In Roasted Coconut Gravy
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 5 people
Ingredients
For Roasting
  • Fenugreek seeds- ½ tsp
  • Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
  • Coriander seeds- 1½ tbsp
  • Garlic- 2 to 3 cloves
  • Small onions- 4
  • Coconut grated- 1 cup
For cooking toor dal
  • Toor dal, rinsed- ½ cup
  • Turmeric powder- ⅛ tsp
  • Salt- ½ tsp
  • Curry leaves- 8 leaves
  • Water- 1 cup
For cooking vegetables
  • Drumsticks- Moringa- 8
  • Cluster beans, halved- 10
  • Okra, cut into 2-inch slices- 8
  • Carrot, diced- 1
  • Green chilies, halved- 2
  • Kashmiri chili powder- 1 tbsp
  • Salt- 1½ tsp
  • Asafoetida- ¼ tsp
  • Tamarind extract, freshly squeezed- ½ cup (2 inch slice soaked in ½ tbsp lukewarm water)
  • Water- 1½ cups
For making tempering
  • Coconut Oil- 1½ tbsp
  • Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
  • Dried red chilies, halved- 2
  • Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Instructions
Roasting Spices & Coconut
  1. Place a pan over medium heat.
  2. Add fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds, saute for a few seconds. Be careful not to burn the fenugreek seeds.
  3. Add small onions, garlic and grated coconut, roast till coconut turns golden brown in color.
  4. Remove the pan from the heat, let coconut cool down for a bit.
  5. Add to a blender along with ¼ to ½ cup water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
Prep work
  1. Soak 2-inch slice fresh tamarind in ½ cup lukewarm water for 3 minutes, squeeze the tamarind in water and extract the juice, strain the juice.
Pressure cooking toor dal
  1. I've taken ½ cup toor dal, rinse in water till the water turns clear.
  2. I'm pressure cooking the toor dal in the Instant Pot.
  3. Add the rinsed toor dal to the stainless steel pot.
  4. Add turmeric powder, salt, curry leaves & 1 cup water.
  5. Close with the lid.
  6. Pressure cook for 8 minutes at high pressure.
  7. After pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes & then do a quick pressure release.
  8. Keep the cooked toor dal aside.
Cooking vegetables
  1. Place a clay pan or sauce pan over medium heat.
  2. Add drumsticks, cluster beans, carrot & green chilies.
  3. Add 1 cup water & cook covered for a few minutes till the veggies turn soft.
  4. Don't over cook the veggies.
  5. I cooked the okra or lady's finger separately, as they will turn mushy when cooked with the veggies.
  6. Place a small pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp coconut oil & add the okra, saute well.
  7. Cook till the okra turns soft.
  8. After the mixed veggies have turned soft, add the ground coconut, combine well.
  9. Rinse the blender jar with ½ cup water & add to the pan, combine well.
  10. Add Kashmiri chili powder & salt, combine well, cook for a few minutes.
  11. Add the cooked toor dal, combine well.
  12. The mixture will be thick, add around 1 to 1½ cups warm water, combine well.
  13. Add Asafoetida and combine well.
  14. Add the tamarind extract, combine well.
  15. Cook for a few minutes till the sambar comes to a boil.
  16. Taste and add more salt if required.
  17. Take the pan off the heat & keep it covered.
Making tempering
  1. Place a small frying pan over medium heat, add coconut oil.
  2. Add mustard seeds, let them splutter.
  3. Add dried red chilies & curry leaves, fry for a few seconds.
  4. Pour the tempering over the sambar & keep the sambar covered for a few minutes, let the aroma from the tempering infuse into the sambar.
  5. This is an extremely flavourful & aromatic sambar, enjoy with dosa, idli, vada or with rice.
Recipe by Cooking with Thas - Smart Cooking, Smart Living at https://thasneen.com/cooking/chettinad-sambar-with-toor-dal-mixed-veggies-cooked-in-roasted-coconut-gravy/