Sambars Recipes - Spicy Tamarind Sambar

Ingredients

• 1 lemon-sized tamarind

• 450 g/3/4 pt/2 cups water

• 45 ml/3 tbsp oil

• 2 dried red chilies, halved

• 5 ml/1 tsp mustard seeds

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp asafetida

• 5 ml/1 tsp red lentils

• 5 mill tsp yellow split peas

• 5 ml/1 tsp split black beans

• 2-3 curry leaves

• 150 g/5 oz pickling onions

• 15 ml/1 tbsp Sambar Powder 1 (see recipe)

• 30 ml/2 tbsp ground jiggery

• 30 ml/2 tbsp salt

• 30 ml/2 tbsp gram flour

• 120 ml/ 4 fl oz/1/2 cup water

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Method:

1. Soak the tamarind in the water, extract the juice and set aside. Heat the oil and fry the chilies, mustard and fenugreek seeds and asafetida until the mustard seeds start crackling.    

2. Add the lentils, split peas, split beans and curry leaves and fry until the len­tils are golden. Add the onions and fry for 2 minutes. Add the sambar powder and fry for 1 minute.

3. Add the tamarind juice, jiggery and salt, cover and sim­mer over a low heat for about 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, blend the flour and water to a batter then stir it into the sambar and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve hot with rice.