Radish Sambar

Ingredients

• 3/4th Cup Toordal
• 1 Medium Radish
• 1 Tsp Oil
• 1 Tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 Tsp Jeera
• 1/4th Tsp Haldi/Turmeric powder
• 1/4th Tsp Hing/Asafoetida
• 1 Dry red chili(optional)
• Few Curry leaves(optional)
• 1 Tbsp Red chili powder
• 1 Tbsp Sambar Powder
• 1 Tbsp Jaggery
• 1 Tsp Tamarind paste
• Coriander leaves to garnish
• Salt to taste

Sambar is a main dish cooked with lentils(usually toordal/ split pigeon pea) along with spice powder/sambar powder and vegetables. There are varieties of sambar we can make using different vegetables, it can be single vegetable or combination of 2 or more vegetables in it.

We almost make it every day in our home. It can be served with hot rice or even with chapatis.

Method :

• Chop radish(it can be cubed or cut into circles) and put it in a bowl. Wash toordal and take it in a bowl along with 1 1/2cups of water.

• Add 2 cups of water in a cooker and place the bowls with radish and toordal and pressure cook it until 3 whistles.

• Heat a kadai, add oil. When hot enough add mustard seeds, when its starts crackling add jeera, haldi, hing, dry red chili and curry leaves(optional).
• Add cooked radish and dal to the tadka. Also add salt, red chili powder, sambar powder, jaggery and tamarind paste.

•  Let it boil for 5mins. Then transfer it to serving bowl and garnish it with chopped coriander. Its ready to serve with hot rice topped with ghee.

Note :

• Radish can also be cooked along with tadka too. When done with tadka, add chopped radish and some water and cook it until they are soft. (cooking it in cooker saves time).
• Amount of jaggery and tamarind paste can be adjusted according to your taste.