Sambar is a very popular dish in southern regions of India especially in Tamil Nadu. Sambar with rice is one of the main courses of both formal and everyday south Indian cuisine. Sambar is also served for lunch and dinner, commonly with idly, vadai or dosa along with variety of chutneys. I made sambar with red radish (which I have not tried before) and it tasted awesome.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup – Split red gram (Thuvaram paruppu/toor dhal)
• 1 cup – Red radish (cut into circles)
• 6 or 7 – Sambar onion (small onion)
• 1 big – Tomato
• 1 no – Green chili
• 1 no – Garlic (chopped)
• 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
• 2 tsp – Red chili powder
• 2 tsp – Coriander powder
• 1 no – Tamarind ( gooseberry size)
• 1 stalk – coriander leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp - Ghee

Seasonings:

• 1 tbsp – Oil
• 1/2 tsp – Mustard seeds(kaduku)
• 1/2 tsp – cumin seeds(seeragam)
• 2 pinch – Fenugreek seeds (venthayam)
• 1 pinch – Asafoetida
• 5 no – Curry leaves

For grinding:

• 3 tbsp – coconut grated
• 1 tsp – Cumin seeds

Preparation method:

1. Grind items given in the list “for grinding” to a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
2. Pressure cook Red gram (thuvaram paruppu),garlic,pinch turmeric,water and ghee for up to 5 or 6 whistles(depends upon the paruppu/dhal).Keep it aside.
3. Soak tamarind in warm water and squeeze off the pulp.
4. Heat oil in a pan,splutter mustard,cumin,fenugreek,asafoetida and curry leaves. Add onion (just remove skin), tomato, green chili, required salt and sauté for few minutes. Add chopped red radish, fry for sometime and then add turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and fry until raw smell goes.
5. Add required water; cover and cook for 5 minutes.Then add cooked red gram(paruppu/dhal) along with tamarind juice cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Finally add ground masala paste into this and cook for a while or until raw masala smell goes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with white rice, idly or dosa.

Notes:

• I have used red radish as main vegetable in this sambar. You can use your own choice like drumstick, brinjal etc.