Subru Uncle's Delicious S. Indian Sambar Veg Curry We All Love

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/4 tablespoons sambar garam masala powder (i use the mtr madras sambar masala powder brand, that's the brand i love the best)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons asafetida powder (known as "hing" in hindi)
• 1 cup yellow lentils, cleaned, washed, soaked in plenty of water and drained (toor dal)
• 1 1/2 cups peeled washed and diced yams (known as "sooran" in hindi)
• 1 small potato, peeled, washed and diced
• 5 -6 garlic cloves, peeled, washed and slit lengthwise (slit each clove of garlic into 3 parts lengthwise)
• 1 small carrot, peeled, washed and diced
• 1/2 cup flat indian beans, washed, ends trimmed and chopped into 1 inch size pieces (commonly called "guavar" in hindi)
• 2 large vegetable drumsticks, washed, peeled, ends trimmed and chopped into 2 inch sized pieces
• 3 cups water
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 2 medium green chilies, washed and slit lengthwise
• 20 fresh curry leaves, washed and torn between the palms of your hands
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 5 -6 tablespoons oil
• 1 large tomato, washed, peeled and chopped
• 10 -12 okra, washed and chopped into 1 inch size pieces (commonly called ladyfingers or "bhindi" in hindi)
• 5 whole red chilies
• 1/2 cup tamarind pulp or 1/2 cup tamarind juice
• 1 teaspoon methi seeds

Recipe

• 1 prepare the tamarind pulp by first soaking a few pieces of tamarind in 1-1/2 cups of hot water.
• 2 squeeze the tamarind pieces as well as you can and allow the tamarind pulp (juice) to mix into the hot water.
• 3 once you have squeezed out half a cup, transfer this to a pot.
• 4 note that the consistency of the tamarind pulp should be such that you have more tamarind pulp and less water.
• 5 add the chopped ladyfinger to the pot.
• 6 allow to boil for 5 minutes.
• 7 this is a neat trick subru uncle's taught me.
• 8 by doing this, the sticky fluid that comes out of the ladyfinger will not come out.
• 9 remove from heat and keep aside.
• 10 now, take a large pot in which you will be preparing the sambar.
• 11 heat the pot on medium-high flame.
• 12 once its hot, pour 3 cups of water in it.
• 13 add the drained toor dal (yellow lentils) and mix well.
• 14 add garlic and mix well.
• 15 allow it to boil well (for about 15 minutes).
• 16 lower flame and add all the chopped and diced vegetables to the boiling lentils (toor dal).
• 17 mix in turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, salt and sambar masala powder.
• 18 fold in the chopped tomatoes.
• 19 cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the tomatoes are softened and the veggies are tender.
• 20 in the meantime, prepare the seasoning.
• 21 for this, heat oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium-high flame.
• 22 once it's hot, add mustard seeds, methi seeds and cumin seeds.
• 23 allow to crackle and splutter.
• 24 once this stops, add curry leaves, green chillies and whole red chillies to the pan.
• 25 mix well and stir-fry for 2 minutes on medium flame.
• 26 remove the pan from heat.
• 27 add this seasoning to the sambar.
• 28 mix well, cook on simmer for 5 minutes and serve this wonderful curry immediately (hot) with cooked long-grain basmati rice and low-fat plain yogurt, if required.