Sambar Without Sambar Powder/ Lentil Vegetable Stew
Sambar without sambar powder is a stew recipe from ancient South Indian cooking. Lots of vegetables and lentils make it nutritious while the spices and herbs make it aromatic.They are good with cooked rice and also Idli and Dosa.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- ½ cup split pigeon pea washed and soaked in water
- 4 cups of water
- 1 potato peeled and diced
- ½ raw plantain diced
- ½ lemon cucumber peeled and diced
- ½ of a medium onion diced
- 3 tbsp coconut oil or canola oil
- 4-5 okra lady finger, diced
- 1 drumstick peeled and cut into 1-inch length
- 3 tomatoes diced
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder ground cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- Tamarind small lime sized ball or 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- 1 tsp fenugreek seed
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 4-5 dried red chilli dry cayenne pepper
- 2 sprigs of curry leaves
- 4-5 sprigs of fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a thick bottomed vessel, mix the soaked pigeon peas and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the lentils are well cooked and can be almost mashed. You can do this in a pressure cooker also.
- When the peas are cooked, add the potatoes, plantain, lemon cucumber and onion into the cooked peas. Mix well. Add more water just to reach the top of the vegetables. Cover and cook until the vegetables are almost cooked.
- While the lentil and vegetables are cooking, soak the tamarind ball in ¼ cup water. Mash with your fingers and keep aside.
- Heat a pan. Dry fry the fenugreek seed for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Remove from heat and make it into a fine powder. Keep aside.
- To the same frying pan, add 2 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, add the drumstick and okra into the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder into the pan. Stir well and cook for a minute on medium-low flame.
- Add the diced tomatoes and again mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add this into the cooked vegetable-lentil mix. Mix well.
- Strain the tamarind water and add to the cooked vegetables. Add salt and asafoetida and mix well. (Add more water if needed).
- Bring it to a boil. Then cook simmering until a semi-thick consistency is reached.
- Add the fenugreek powder and mix well.
- Remove from heat.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Crackle the mustard seeds. Tear the dry red chilli and add it the oil. Stir-cook for 10 seconds without burning.
- Remove from heat and add the tempering to the vegetable-lentil mix.
- Add the cilantro leaves. Crush the curry leaves with your fingers and add this to the sambar.
- Mix well and keep it covered for a few minutes.
- The traditional Kerala style sambar without sambar powder is ready.
Notes
Adjust the amount of tamarind to your taste.
Cooking the pigeon peas in a pressure cooker makes the process fast.
Cooking the pigeon peas in a pressure cooker makes the process fast.