SAMBAR Traditional (without using sambar powder).

Ingredients:

Vegetables - Elephant foot yam and ash gourd (cut into 1/2 " cubes) - 3/4 cup

Drumstick - 1 no. (cut into 1 inch long pieces)

Red gram dal (Tuvar dal) – 1/4 cup

Tomato – 1 small (chopped)

Pearl onion - 4-5 nos.

Tamarind - 1 lemon sized ball

Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp

Salt - As per taste

Masala (to make paste):

fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp

Asafoetida (small broken pieces) - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 1 1/2 tbsp

Coconut (grated) - 1/4 cup

Red chilly (dry) – 6 nos(change it as per taste)

Curry leaves – 2-3 nos.

Seasoning:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Dry red chilly (cut into pieces) - 3nos.

Asafoetida (Ingu/Hing) – 2 pinch

Curry leaves – 1 sprig.

Method:  
1. Rinse the tamarind in water for 10 minutes, squeeze it nicely, extract

    juice  and discard pulp. Keep it aside.

2. Cook the dal with suffecient water in a pressure cooker and keep it aside
3. Cook the ash gourd, yam with sufficient water in a pot or pressure cooker 
   and keep it aside

4. Take an iron skillet and roast fenugreek, coriander seeds and coconut.
    Roast till coconut turns brown.

6. Lastly add chilly, asafoetida and curry leaves, roast for a minute.
    Remove from fire. Allow it to cool.

7. Transfer all the roasted ingredients into a mixer, add water and grind into a

    paste.

8. Take a deep vessel transfer the cooked vegetables, add tamarind juice,

     salt, turmeric and boil till the tamarind is cooked(about 10 minutes).

     add drumstick, tomato and onion. allow it to boil for 2 minutes.

10. Now add ground masala paste and cooked dal. Boil for 5 minutes or till
       the gravy slightly thickens. Remove from fire.

12. Take a small pan, add oil for seasoning when hot add mustard seeds,

    when it splutters add remaining seasoning ingredients and fry for a few

    seconds.

13. Immediately add the seasoning to the curry. Sambar is ready.

     Note: For a change you can fry the pearl onions(slice it into long

             pieces) separately in a pan and add it in the end, instead of

             cooking it with drumstick.