Varutharacha Sambar / Sambar with Roasted Coconut and Spices - Onam Sadhya Vibhavangal 14

Sambar is the famous south Indian vegetable lentil dish simmered with tamarind water and a ballard of spices. Sambars contain a variety of vegetables like drumstick, yam, carrot, okra, white pumpkin, brinjal, bittergourd,tomato and the list goes on...

It is an integral part of any sadhya. No matter which part of  Kerala you go to, this is one dish that is common on the sadhya menu. Sambar is served with rice for sadhyas.

For quick sambars, we usually use the sambar mix but for festivals and special occasions the roasted coconut version is the most favoured. This is quite different from the usual sambars where ground roasted coconut is not added. The aroma of the spices in a sambar just makes us hungry during sadhyas.

INGREDIENTS
Toor Dal/ Sambar Parippu - 1/4 Cup
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp
Green Chilly - 2 slit lenghtwise
Yam - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1

Drumstick - 1 cut lenghtwise
Carrot - 1 small
Lady's finger/ Okra/ Venda - 4-5 cut into 2' pieces
Tomato - 2 medium
Brinjal - 1 medium
Vellerikka (cucumber)/ Winter melon - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - size of a lime
Shallots/ Cheriya ulli - 4
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek powder/Uluva - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida/Kaayam powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp

For seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Red chilly - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

METHOD

Cook the dal in a pressure cooker along with onion,turmeric, green chilly and yam.

When cooked add drumstick, carrot and vellerikka along with salt.

Soak tamarind in 3/4 cup warm water.

Add the other vegetables (brinjal, okra,tomato).

When the vegetables are almost cooked add tamarind water.

In a pan fry fenugreek and powder it.

Use the same pan to fry the coconut, shallots and 1 sprig curry leaves. When it starts to turn brown add coriander powder, chilly powder, asafoetida, fenugreek powder and turmeric powder.

Remove from fire when the raw smell of the powders go.

Make it into a fine paste.

When the vegetables are cooked add this paste. Check salt.

Bring it to a boil. Remove from stove.

In a pan heat coconut oil to prepare seasoning.

Add mustard seeds. When it splutters add the urad dal, red chilly and curry leaves one after the other.

Pour the seasoning over the sambar.

Tips:
Add tamarind water only after the vegetables are almost cooked.
Increase the toor dal quantity to 1/2 cup if you like the sambar thick.

If you would like to see other Onam Sadhya recipes please click on the links below :

1.    Puli Ingi
2.    Olan
3.    Kalan
4.    Pineapple Pachadi
5.    Kumbalanga Pachadi
6.    Beetroot Achar
7.    Koottu-Curry
8.    Avial
9.    Kaaya Upperi

10.  Mathanga Vanpayar Erissery

11.  Tomato Rasam

12.  Semiya Payasam

13.  Sambaram