Ingredients:
1 cup of thuar dal
½ tsp of turmeric powder
A small lime sized ball of tamarind
2-3 drumsticks, each cut into 3” pieces
2 tsps of homemade sambhar powder or store bought of your choice
Salt-to taste
To temper,
A tbsp or refined oil
½ tsp of mustards
½ tsp of urad dal
2 pinches of hing/perunkayam
10-15 small sized pearl onions/chinna vengayam/ulli
3 green chillies slit lengthwise
A stalk of curry leaves/karuveppilai
Cilantro/kothamalli
Method:
1.Soak tamarind in warm water.Extract the thick pulp.
2.Pressure cook dal in enough water with turmeric powder.
3.Heat oil in a deep pan,keeping the flame medium, splutter mustards and brown the urad dal.Add hing.Immediately add the onions and green chillies , sauteing continuously.Add the curry leaves.
4.Add about 2 cups of water to the pan.when it boils add the drumstick pieces, close the pan with a lid and simmer till they are ‘almost’cooked.
5.Add ½ tsp of salt and the tamarind extract and let it simmer for a few minutes.Now add the sambhar powder,stirring slowly to avoid lumps.
6.Open the cooker,strain the water on top,(keep this aside and add lastly to the sambhar if too thick)and mash the dal well with the round end of a ladle.Add dal to the pan,letting it simmer for 10 more mins.
7.Check salt and the consistency of the sambhar,as it should not be too thick or too watery.Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice.