Sambar Recipe (How to Make South Indian Sambar)

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1. 1Step 1: Place the lentils in a pressure cooker, Instant Pot liner or saucepan. Wash in a couple of changes of water.
2. 2Step 2: Add enough water to cover the lentils by at least two inches. Stir in the turmeric.
3. 3Step 3: Pressure cook the lentils for three whistles in a traditional pressure cooker or for 15 minutes in the Instant Pot on high pressure. If cooking the lentils on the stovetop, cook 30-45 minutes or until the lentils are very soft and mushy. Mash the lentils with a wooden spoon or ladle.
4. 4Step 4: Heat a teaspoon of oil in a skillet. Add coriander seeds, chana dal, dried red chili peppers, black peppercorns, fenugreek seeds and uncooked rice.
5. 5Step 5: Fry over medium heat until the coriander seeds and chana dal are a couple of shades darker and very aromatic. Remove the spices to a bowl or plate and set them aside to cool.
6. 6Step 6: In the same skillet add sliced onions and a curry leaves. Fry until the onions are soft and beginning to brown. remove them to the bowl or plate with the other spices to cool.
7. 7Step 7: Place all the ground masala ingredients in a blender along with the diced tomato. Add a cup of water.
8. 8Step 8: Blend into a very smooth paste and set aside.
9. 9Step 9: Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the diced onions and a third of the curry leaves and saute until the onions are soft, about 2-3 minutes.
10. 10Step 10: Add the vegetables to the pot: drumsticks, carrots, pumpkin and potatoes. Add a cup of water to the pot, cover and let the vegetables cook 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in a tablespoon of tamarind paste or all of the pulp and juice extracted from the tamarind pods and continue cooking five minutes (don't cover the pot this time).
11. 11Step 11: Add the cooked dal and the fresh-ground masala to the pot. Mix well and add salt to taste.
12. 12Step 12: Stir in the optional sambar powder followed by the jaggery.
13. 13Step 13: Bring the sambar to a boil and continue to cook for five more minutes. Add a cup of water or more if the sambar is too thick. The right consistency for a sambar is not too thick but not too thin either. The vegetables should sink slightly below the surface, not rise to the top.
14. 14Step 14: In a skillet, heat a teaspoon of oil. Add mustard seeds to the skillet and wait for them to sputter. Add the cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves and fry for a minute.
15. 15Step 15: Pour the tempering into the sambar and mix it in. Turn off heat. Check salt and add more if needed. Enjoy the sambar hot.