Sambar Sadham

SAMBAR SADHAM: Ingredients: Raw rice- 2 cups Lentils- 1 cup Water- 7 ½ cups Tamarind- a lime size Fenugreek seeds- 1tsp Red chillies-4 Coriander seeds-4 tsp Gram dal [pottukkadalai]-2 tsp Bengal gram- 2tsp Poppy seeds- 1tsp Peppercorns- 10 Asafetida- a small piece Mustard seeds- 1tsp Oil-3tbsp Ghee- 3 tbsp Chopped onions-1 cup Green chillies-4 Chopped tomatoes-4 cups Small eggplants-4 [finely cut into small pieces] Big carrot-1 [finely shredded] Big potato-1 [finely shredded] Turmeric powder- 1tsp Chopped coriander leaves- a handful Curry leaves- 2 springs

Salt to taste Method: Wash the raw rice with the lentils, add the water and enough salt to it and pressure cook this up to 5 to 6 whistles. Soak the tamarind for half an hour and extract the juice out of it. Dry fry the fenugreek seeds, red chillies, coriander seeds, pottukkadalai, bengal gram, kuskus, and peppercorn. In a little oil fry a small piece of asafetida and powder all these spices. Heat a kadai and add the oil and the ghee. Add 1sp mustard seeds and when they splutter add the chopped onions and slit green chillies. Fry well for a few minutes, add 2 cups of chopped tomatoes and cook for some minutes until the oil floats on the top. Add the chopped eggplants and fry for a few minutes. Then add the shredded carrot and potato and fry for a few minutes. Now add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder and enough salt. Let it simmer for a few minutes until its raw flavour goes and the gravy thickens. Then add the powder and mix well. Reduce the fire. Now add the cooked rice and dhal and mix well. Add chopped coriander leaves, curry leaves and more ghee. Mix well and put off the fire