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Varutharacha Sambar ~ Mixed Vegetables and Lentils in a Spiced Tamarind Sauce | Kerala Sadya Recipes

Author Manju

Ingredients

  • Tamarind - key lime sized ball
  • Water - 1 to 2 cups
  • Toor Dal / Pigeon Peas - 1 cup
  • Water - 2 cups
  • Carrots diced - 1
  • Potatoes diced - 1
  • Drumstick cut into 2 inch pieces - 8 to 10
  • Red Onion diced - ¼ cup
  • Pearl Onion peeled - 10
  • Tomatoes diced - 1
  • Okra cut into 1 inch pieces - 5
  • You can add all or some of this Onions, Pearl Onions and Drumsticks give a really good flavor so I wouldn't make those optional and / or add more vegetables like eggplant, winter melon, pumpkin etc.
  • Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp
  • Salt - to taste
  • To Roast and Grind to a fine paste:
  • Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
  • Dried Red Chillies - 4 or 5
  • Pearl Onions - 5
  • Fenugreek Seeds - ¼ tsp
  • Chana Dal / Gram Dal - 1 tsp
  • Asafoetida / Hing - ½ tsp
  • Grated Coconut - ½ cup
  • Oil - 1 tsp
  • For tempering:
  • Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard Seeds - ½ tsp
  • Curry leaves - 8 to 10
  • Minced Cilantro - 2 tbsp to garnish

Instructions

  • Soak tamarind in the 1 to 2 cups of water, squeeze the pulp out of it and keep aside.
  • Wash the toor dal well and cook in a pressure cooker or in a sauce pan till mushy.
  • Place the tamarind pulp in a heavy bottomed pan on the stove. Add all the vegetables, except tomatoes. Add more water, if needed.
  • Add turmeric powder and cover and cook, till the vegetables are cooked well.
  • Add the tomatoes and let it cook though as well. Add salt and keep heat on low.
  • To make the ground paste:
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saute pan and dry roast the spices. Add the coconut to it and roast till coconut slightly turns color. Don't let it brown a lot.
  • Let it cool. Grind to a very fine paste in a food processor or an Indian mixie, adding very little water occasionally.
  • Now add this mixture to the vegetables in tamarind sauce and let it come to a boil.
  • Mash the cooked dal well and add it to this. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.
  • Heat the oil for tempering in a saute pan. Add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add curry leaves and pour it over the sambar.
  • Switch off the heat for the sambar. Add some minced cilantro at the very end.