Varutharacha Sambar| Onam Recipes

Varutharacha Sambar is a flavourful sambar with spices and coconut and freshly roasted and ground. So the flavour will not change if you keep sambar for hours or if you refrigerate it. This is a Kerala style sambar prepared at the time of Onam sadya. For Onam sadya this smabar would be apt with assorted vegetables cooked in a freshly roasted and ground  gravy.

For this sambar the quantity of dal is less when compare to other sambar recipes. The coconut with the spices gives volume and thickness to the sambar. Tastes better than the other sambar this goes well with idli dosa too.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Cuisine: Kerala
Serves:6-8

INGREDIENTS:
Toor dal- 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Small Onion/peral onion- 6 big
Tomatoes- 2 small
Tamarind- small gooseberry size
Red Pumpkin- 1/4 cup
Drumstick-1
Carrot-1 small
Brinjal- 3 small, 1/4 cup
Salt- to taste
Oil- 2 teaspoon

To roast and grind:
Chana dal- 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
Coconut, grated- 1/4 cup
Small onion, cut into pieces- 4
Dry red chillies- 5-6
Coriander seeds- 1 and 1/2 tablespoon
Curry leaves- 1 strand
Corinder leaves-1 tablespoon

To temper:
Oil- 3 teaspoon
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Dry red chillies-3
Curry leaves- 2 strand
Asafetida- 1/4 teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• Pressure cook the toor dal with turmeric powder, 1 and 1/2 cups of water and allow to cook for 4 whistles.
• Once the pressure releases open and mash the dal; set aside.
• While the dal is cooking  dry roast the chana dal and fenugreek seeds together with a drop of oil till golden coulur.
• Remove from the pan and allow to cool.

• In the same pan add the coconut, pearl onion, dry red chillies, coriander seeds, curry leaves and coriander leaves and dry roast them till the coconut starts to get golden colour. Do not roast the coconut till dark brown colour.
• Now transfer with chana dal and fenugreek seeds and allow to cool.

• Now transfer everything into a blender jar and blend well to make a fine powder. Then add some water and grind to make a fine paste; set aside.
• In a wide pan add two teaspoons of oil and on medium flame cook the cut pearl onion and then cook tomatoes for a minute and then add the vegetables and saute for a minute.

• Now add some salt and enough water to submerge the vegetables and cover with a lid and cook till the vegetables are almost cooked.

• Now add the tamarind water and allow to cook for two to three minutes on medium flame to leave the raw smell. Add the cooked dal and mix well.
• Now add the ground coconut paste and add 2-3 cups of water to dilute the sambar.

• Add some coriander leaves and allow the sambar to boil.
• Meanwhile heat a small pan and splutter the mustard seeds and add the dry red chillies and curry leaves. Switch off the flame and add the asafetida on the hot oil and mix well.

• Now transfer the tempering over the sambar and mix well and allow to boil once and switch off the flame.
• Note: To make short cut for this version you could add the onion, tomato with assorted vegetables in to the cooked toor dal and add more water and pressure cook for a whistle and then add the ground paste and follow the same procedure.