These are a few of my favorite dishes......Sambar! On a rainy day.. sometimes i like having a bowl of some warm idlis with a good spicy sambar.Yumm! Here is my version of a 'naadan' (country style) sambar! a blend of veggies with lentil.
my Sambar…
Ingredients:-
Mixed Veggies cut into bite sized pieces – 3-4 cups
(I’ve added 1 potato,1 carrot,1 drumstick,1/2 plantain,1 small brinjal,4 okra,1 tomato ,bittergourd,
Toor Dal – 1 cup
Sliced Onion – 1/2
Green chillies slit – 2
Tamarind – gooseberry sized ball
Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tsp(Optional)
Asafoetida(Kaayam) – a pinch
Ghee/Oil to add with dal – 1/2 tsp (Optional)
Sambar Masala:-
I don’t use any Sambar Masala.Instead i mix all the following powders and prepare my own sambar masala.
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Coriander POwder – 2 tsp
Cumin powder -1/4 tsp(Optional)
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek powder – a pinch
For Popping:-
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Red chillies – 3
Curry Leaves – a sprig
Oil – as needed
Method:-
Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water for sometime,squeeze and take the extract from it. (i.e if you have the real tamarind. I use tamarind paste) so need to soak etc.Keep aside.Cook the dal in a pressure cooker,adding required water,salt,1/2 tsp of ghee/oil,sliced onion and green chillies.When the dal is done ,remove the lid and add in the tamarind juice and asafoetida ,stir and simmer for some more time ,so that the dal is mashed well.Now throw in the cut veggies and cook till they are done adding water if needed.(No need to pressure cook the veggies as it can be over cooked sometimes).Mix in the sambar powder and simmer for 5-10 mts.Check for salt and add if needed.Add chopped coriander leaves and simmer for 2 more mts.Switch off the stove and keep aside.

Rasam:
Ingredients
1. Cooked toor dal half cup
Tomatoes 2 large, each cut into 8 pieces
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Water 4 cups
Tamarind 3-4 small pieces, mix with water and use that water
Salt to taste
2.
Coriander seeds 2 table spoon( 1 used 1 tbsp. of powdered coriander)
Black pepper 1teaspoon
Jeera seeds 1 teaspoon
Ginger 1 teaspoon sliced thin
Garlic cloves 4( leave whole)
Dried red pepper 1
Asafoetida( I used the powder form, maybe used 1/4 tsp.)
3.
Cooking oil 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Dried red pepper 2( cut into 2-3 pieces)
Coriander (fresh) 1 tablespoon
Method
Crush all the ingredients under the heading 2.
Add all this to ingredients under 1. and begin to boil.
After the tomatoes have cooked well, drain the mixture through a wide eyed sieve.( I did this ,but ended up adding some of the stuff to the drained liquid to give it some body)
Crack the mustard seeds in oil, add the dried red pepper and then add the drained mixture into it. Add fresh coriander and serve hot.
serve with hot boiled rice!


Bitter melon chutney/pachadi

Need To Have

• Bitter melon (4) small pieces
• plain yogurt (6tbsp)
• salt to taste
• green chillies (4 small)
• coconut grated (1cup)
• mustard seeds(1tsp)
• red chillies(3)
• udath dal (1tbsp)
• cumin seeds (1tbsp)
• curry leaves (5)

method: cook the bitter melon with green chillies and salt under low flame with little water (just enough to cover the bitter melon)
meanwhile blend in the yogurt, coconut, cumin seeds well. (has to be in paste condition) then once the bitter melon is all cooked. (no water to be in sight all cooked) add the blended mixture and cook the mixtures on a low flame. When the mixture boils up or just enough to see that it is rising switch off the gas. (should not boil too much) it ruins the taste.
Then take a small pan and add oil and splutter the mustard seeds and red chillies, curry leaves and the udath Dal.  Then add it to the ground cooked mixture. Your bitter melon chutney is ready.