Vegetable Sambar

You know what might make carrying this Vegetable Sambar to work more interesting? An insulated lunch box that can keep it warm and fresh until it is time to eat. Pack the Vegetable Sambar along with warm rice, dosas, idlies, and many other rice-based dishes in your Vaya Tyffyn and enjoy every meal you have away from home.

Health Benefits

The primary ingredient in this dish, vegetable sambar, is of course the lentil. Lentils are one of the ultimate meat substitutes due to their protein content. They have the highest percentage of pound for pound protein from any plant. And protein is one of the most important elements for the human body. It helps treat muscle fatigue and is responsible for muscle tissue and cell repair. Eating high protein dishes also reduces your fat intake and ultimately improves heart health and lowers the risk of diabetes.

Ingredients

cup toor dal: 1/2

cups water: 2

tsp turmeric powder: 1/4

cup sliced radish: 1

drumsticks—cut into 4-inch sticks: 5

cup sliced: 1/2

cup tamarind juice: 1

green chilli: 1

chopped tomato: 3/4

curry leaves: 4

tsp turmeric powder: 1/2

tsp jaggery: 3/4

cubed onions: 1/2

salt to taste

tbsp sambar powder: 1

tbsp coconut oil: 2

tsp mustard seeds: 3/4

tsp asafetida: 1

dry red chilies: 2

How To Make 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.