Ingredients
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4 teaspoons salt
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2 1/4 tablespoons sambar garam masala powder (I use the MTR Madras Sambar Masala powder brand, that's the brand I love the best)
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1 1/2 tablespoons asafoetida powder (known as "hing" in Hindi)
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1 cup yellow lentils, cleaned, washed, soaked in plenty of water and drained (toor dal)
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1 1/2 cups peeled washed and diced yams (known as "sooran" in Hindi)
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5 -6 garlic cloves, peeled, washed and slit lengthwise (slit each clove of garlic into 3 parts lengthwise)
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1/2 cup flat indian beans, washed, ends trimmed and chopped into 1 inch size pieces (commonly called "guavar" in Hindi)
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2 large vegetable drumsticks, washed, peeled, ends trimmed and chopped into 2 inch sized pieces
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3 cups water
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2 teaspoons turmeric powder
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2 medium green chilies, washed and slit lengthwise
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20 fresh curry leaves, washed and torn between the palms of your hands
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1 teaspoon cumin seed
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1 teaspoon mustard seeds
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5 -6 tablespoons oil
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1 large tomatoes, washed, peeled and chopped
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10 -12 okra, washed and chopped into 1 inch size pieces (commonly called ladyfingers or "bhindi" in Hindi)
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5 whole red chilies
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1/2 cup tamarind pulp or 1/2 cup tamarind juice
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1 teaspoon methi seeds
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1 small potato, peeled, washed and diced
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1 small carrot, peeled, washed and diced
Instructions
- Prepare the tamarind pulp by first soaking a few pieces of tamarind in 1-1/2 cups of hot water.
- Squeeze the tamarind pieces as well as you can and allow the tamarind pulp (juice) to mix into the hot water.
- Once you have squeezed out half a cup, transfer this to a pot.
- Note that the consistency of the tamarind pulp should be such that you have more tamarind pulp and less water.
- Add the chopped ladyfinger to the pot.
- Allow to boil for 5 minutes.
- This is a neat trick Subru uncle's taught me.
- By doing this, the sticky fluid that comes out of the ladyfinger will not come out.
- Remove from heat and keep aside.
- Now, take a large pot in which you will be preparing the sambar.
- Heat the pot on medium-high flame.
- Once its hot, pour 3 cups of water in it.
- Add the drained toor dal (yellow lentils) and mix well.
- Add garlic and mix well.
- Allow it to boil well (for about 15 minutes).
- Lower flame and add all the chopped and diced vegetables to the boiling lentils (toor dal).
- Mix in turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, salt and Sambar masala powder.
- Fold in the chopped tomatoes.
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the tomatoes are softened and the veggies are tender.
- In the meantime, prepare the seasoning.
- For this, heat oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium-high flame.
- Once it's hot, add mustard seeds, methi seeds and cumin seeds.
- Allow to crackle and splutter.
- Once this stops, add curry leaves, green chillies and whole red chillies to the pan.
- Mix well and stir-fry for 2 minutes on medium flame.
- Remove the pan from heat.
- Add this seasoning to the sambar.
- Mix well, cook on simmer for 5 minutes and serve this wonderful curry immediately (hot) with cooked long-grain Basmati white rice and low-fat plain yogurt, if required.