Spicy Sambar

Ammamma Anapakaya Sambar

Ingredients:

Toor Dal 1 cup
Tamarind 2-3 inch sized ball
Tomatoes (plum) 5
Onion 1
Bottle Gourd 6×6 inch piece
Green Chillies 3
Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Masala:

Whole Dried Red Chiles 6-8
Coriander Seeds 1 1/2 to 2 tbsps
Cloves 4
Cinnamon 1 inch stick

Talimpu:

Fenugreek Seeds a pinch
Urad Dal 2 tsps
Mustard Seeds 2 tsps
Cumin Seeds 2 tsps
Broken Red Chiles 3
Curry Leaves 5
Hing a pinch
Oil 2 tbsps

Method of preparation:

Remove stems, wash and slit green chillies.
Peel and chop bottle gourd into small cubes.
Wash and chop 4 of the tomatoes into cubes.
Grind one tomato(coarsely chopped) into smooth paste using water if required.
Peel, cut in half and slice the onion.

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water and extract the pulp.
Wash and cook the dal in 2 1/4 cups of water for 3 whistles using pressure cooker.
Mash the cooked dal roughly and keep aside.

Finely grind the masala ingredients into fine powder using a blender.
(You can roast the masala ingredients before grinding.)

Heat oil in a deep vessel, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
Then add tamarind pulp, chopped bottle gourd, onion, tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder, salt and 2-3 cups of water.
Cook covered until all the vegetables are almost cooked. Leave a little crunch to the vegetables.

Add ground sambar powder, mashed dal, pureed tomato and water (to attain required consistency).
Let it bubble on medium-low flame for 5-10 minutes.
Serve with idly, dosa, rice etc…

Notes: You can also grind few tbsps of grated coconut along with tomato and add to sambar.