How Do You Make Sambar From Scratch With Whole Spices?
• Take a cup of sambar dhal (lentil) add water and boil in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles. If you dont have a pressure cooker, boil the dhal with water in a vessel till it becomes soft and crushy. • Put a small lime sized tamarind portion in a small bowl of water. • Add 2 tbsp oil into a pan. Fry the whole red chillies, coriander (dhaniya) seeds, fenugreek (methi) seeds and asafoetida piece in this oil, until the coriander seeds become a light brown. • Grind the fried spices (masala) in a mixer-grinder with a little water till it is a fine paste. • Cut veggies (except tomato) into inch cubes (see vegetable options in Ingredients), and boil with water in a vessel along with haldi (turmeric). After 10 minutes add in salt to taste (2 tbsp of rock salt tastes best), and squeeze the tamarind water into the vessel with veggies. Throw away the tamarind rind after 2-3 such extractions. Let the mixture boil until the veggies are cooked. • Add the masala paste and cooked lentil (dhal) to the
