SAMBAR

Soak a lime sized tamarind for ½ hour and then extract the juice out of it. Cook three handful of lentils in a pressure cooker. Pour enough oil in a vessel and heat it. Add 1sp mustards and when they splutter add 1 cup of chopped sambar onions, a small piece of asafoetida and 4 slit green chillies. When they become slightly brown, add 1 or 2 cups of chopped tomatoes and 1sp turmeric powder. Cook until the tomatoes are well mashed. Add the tamarind extract and when it is simmering add the vegetables and enough salt. After the vegetables are being cooked, add the cooked dhal and a little salt. Let the sambar simmer for a few minutes. Add 2tsp sambar podi and mix well. Turn the fire very low. Cook for a few minutes. Add curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves.

Sambar podi: Fry one handful of red chillies, 1tbsp Bengal gram, 2tbsp coriander seeds, 1sp fenugreek seeds, 8 peppercorn, ½ sp mustard seeds and ½ sp black gram for a few minutes to a light brown colour. When cooled, powder them.