Vegetable Sambar

1. Pressure cook drumsticksand toor dal with salt and turmeric powder.
2. Soak tamarind in a cup of warm water for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, sautéradish, carrot, drumstick pieces and asafetida.
4. Add tamarind water and tomato and let boil.
5. Extract the remaining pulp from the soaked tamarind by mashing it with your fingers In another cup of water. Add the next batch of tamarind water to the boiling broth; discard tamarind refuse.
6. Add sambar powder and let the mixture continue to boil until the raw smell of the spice mix fades.
7. Add cooked dal to the boiling broth and simmer for a minute or two.
8. Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium-high heat, splutter mustard seeds, red chillis, curry leaves. Pour the tempering over the simmering lentil mixture.
9. Serving piping hot vegetable sambar with rice.

Trivia

Evidence for lentil domestication exists from as far back as 6,000 BCE.