Shallot Sambar/Chinna Vengaya Sambar/Small Onion Sambar

Shallot Sambar has a special aroma than the usual Sambar recipe. This Sambar is another easy recipe to make. This Sambar goes wel with steamed Rice, Idli, Dosa, Medhu Vada etc.

Ingredients

To Cook the Dal:

Toor Dal (Pigeon Pea) – ½ cup

Toormeric Powder – 1 tsp

Green Chilli – 2

Asafoetida – one pinch

Other Ingredients:

Oil – 1 tsp

Fenugreek Seed – ¼ tsp

Curry Leaves – from 1 twig

Red Chilli (Broken) – 2

Small Onion (Shallot) – ½ cup

Green Chilli – 2 (slitted)

Tamarind – small gooseberry sized ball

Turmeric Powder – one pinch

Sambar Powder – 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Jaggery – ½ tsp

For Tempering:

Oil – 1tbsp

Mustard Seed – ¾ tsp

Black Gram Lentil – ¾ tsp

Curry Leaves – from 2 twigs

Asafoetida – 1 ½ pinch

Method

Rinse the Toor Dal a couple of times in water. Add required water to the Dal; add Toormeric Powder and pressure cook the Dal for 7 to 8 whistles. The Dal should get cooked soft. Keep it aside. Mash it lightly.

Soak the Tamarind in ½ cup of water for about 20 minutes and extract the juice. Keep aside the juice and discard the pulp.

Peel the Shallots (Small Onion) and keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp of Oil in a vessel. Add Fenugreek Seed, broken Chilli and Curry Leaves one after another.

After a minute, add the Small Onions and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Add Tamarind juice, Salt and Sambar Powder. Add 2 more cups of water. When it starts boiling, cover the vessel with a lid and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the mashed Toor Dal. Add more water if required. Adjust Salt if necessary. Stir it well cover with the lid and simmer for 5 minutes in low flame stirring in between.

Cook till the shallots are of soft consistency.

In the meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a small frying pan. Add Mustard and allow it to crackle. Add Black Gram, Curry leaves and Red Chilli.

When the Black Gram tends to become brown, switch of the flame and transfer the contents to the Sambar.

Cover with a lid for the aroma to ensure that the Shallots are cooked well, but they are not overcooked to an extent that they break into pieces. Full Onion gives a good taste.