As a south indian nothing satisfies me like a good sambar. Yellow pumpkin is called as manjal poosanikai in Tamil. This sambar is a staple in my house. It makes for a simple, healthy and a very satisfying meal.
Lets dive into making Sambar. Shall we?
Cut the pumpkin into half. De-seed the pumpkin and peel the outer skin. Dice the pumpkin into cubes and boil it with water until soft and keep aside. Do not discard the water used for boiling. Use the water to soak the tamarind.
Boil half a cup of toor-dal with 2 – 2.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Reserve the excess water. Do not discard. If not using pressure cooker, soak the Dal for an hour in water and boil it in a heavy pan with a closed lid for 45 minutes or more until the lentils are soft.
OK, a good sambar powder is very very essential for a good sambar. You can make your own sambar powder but I like the taste of this particular store bought masala and I use it for the sake of convenience. I am from Coimbatore, Tamilnadu and I like Tamil style sambar. So the only Sambar powder that I use is Sakthi brand Sambar powder which comes from Tamilnadu and works extremely well. Sakthi masala doesnt pay me a penny for endorsing this product. My American friends can find it in indian stores near you. I do not like the flavor of any other sambar powders that are in the market.
We always use sesame oil most of the time in south indian cooking. Its called as நல்ல எண்ணெய் (Nalla ennai) in Tamil which literally translates as Good Oil. So its sesame oil in my kitchen for sambar. Heat sesame oil in a pan until shimmering. Add in the mustard seeds, Urad-dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the Onions and saute till soft and translucent in medium flame. Roughly about 3-4 minutes. Then add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are soft. Roughly about a couple of minutes. Add in the tamarind pulp.
Add in the salt, asafoetida, sambar powder and turmeric. Let it simmer for 10 minutes in low flame. Simmering helps in cooking the masala powders and the tamarind to cook completely. Now add in the boiled pumpkin and the boiled toor dal. If the consistency is too thick, add in the reserved left over water from the Dal. Let it simmer for another couple of minutes. Add in the coriander leaves/cilantro. Remove from heat and serve it hot with rice.
- 1/2 kg pumpkin
- 1/2 cup toor dal
- 1 tablespoon Sesame/Gingely oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon urad dal
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 inch round tamarind piece
- 1 tablespoon sambar powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sprigs coriander leaves/cilantro
- Cut the pumpkin into half. De-seed the pumpkin and peel the outer skin. Dice the pumpkin into cubes and boil it with water until soft and keep aside. Do not discard the water used for boiling. Use the water to soak the tamarind.
- Boil half a cup of toor-dal with 2 – 2.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Reserve the excess water. Do not discard. If not using pressure cooker, soak the Dal for an hour in water and boil it in a heavy pan with a closed lid for 45 minutes or more until the lentils are soft.
- Heat sesame oil in a pan until shimmering.
- Add in the mustard seeds, Urad-dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter.
- Add in the Onions and saute till soft and translucent in medium flame. Roughly about 3-4 minutes.
- Then add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are soft. Roughly about a couple of minutes.
- Add in the tamarind pulp.
- Add in the salt, asafoetida, sambar powder and turmeric. Let it simmer for 10 minutes in low flame. Simmering helps in cooking the masala powders and the tamarind to cook completely.
- Now add in the boiled pumpkin and the boiled toor dal. If the consistency is too thick, add in the reserved left over water from the Dal.
- Let it simmer for another couple of minutes.
- Add in the coriander leaves/cilantro.
- Remove from heat and serve it hot with rice.
- You can use other vegetables instead of pumpkin like carrots, radish, white pumpkin, drumstick.