Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup toor dal, rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 large tomato, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-in (12-mm) pieces
• 1/2 cup green beans, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces
• 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 Tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 Tbsp sambar powder
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 Tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 Tbsp ghee
• 1 Tbsp urad dal
• 2 dried red chiles
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Method

1. Simmer the rinsed toor dal in the water with the ground turmeric for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are completely soft, then mash them roughly in the pot.
2. Add the finely chopped onion, finely chopped tomato, carrot pieces, green bean pieces, and cauliflower florets to the dal and cook everything for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the tamarind paste, sambar powder, and salt and let the sambar simmer for 5 minutes more so the sourness settles into the lentils.
4. Heat the ghee in a small pan and temper the mustard seeds and cumin seeds until they crackle.
5. Add the urad dal, dried red chiles, curry leaves, and pinch of asafoetida to the tempering pan — using the second measure of ghee if the pan looks dry — and fry the spices for a few seconds until fragrant.
6. Pour the whole tempering into the sambar and stir it through.
7. Garnish the Sambar with fresh cilantro leaves and serve it hot.

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data