Sambar for Ven Pongal

 This sambar is very good for VenPongal.I add vegetables like carrot ,beans and potato for this type of sambar, you can add any vegetable of your choice..Rather adding big onions small onions change the taste and flavor of the dish.Do try this you will definitely like it.

Ingredients

1. Toordhall - 1 handful
2. Yellow Moongdhall - 2 tbsp
3. ChannaDhall - 1 tbsp
4. Hing - 1/4 tsp
5. Tomato -1 
6. Tamarind - 1 small gooseberry size
7. Carrot - 2
8. Beans - 5 
9. Potato - 1 
10. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
12. Green chilly - 1 slit
13. Small onion - 4 ,cut into 2 halves
14. Oil - 2tbsp
15. Salt as needed

Ground Paste

1. Small onion - 5 nos
2. Coriander seeds - 1tbsp
3. Pepper seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Jeera - 1/4 tsp
5. Channadhall - 1/4 tsp
6. Coconut - 2 tbsp

Roast all the ingredients in oil ,let it cool down and grind into a paste with little water.

 Season

1. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
2. Curryleaves - 5nos
3. Red chilly - 2 ,split
4. Coriander leaves - 2 string
5. small onions - 2 ,chopped 

 Method :

1. Pressure cook toordhall ,yellow moongdhall and channa dhall till soft.
2. In a kadai, pour little oil and fry the vegetables for 2min.
3. Now add the chopped tomato and tamarind extract and let it boil.
4. Add turmeric powder ,salt and chilli powder.
5. When the vegetables are 3/4 th cooked add cooked dhall and the ground paste.
6. Let it boil for 4 min,add coriander leaves and switch off.
7. Heat oil in a pan for seasoning.
8. Add mustard seeds let it splutter,add red chillies ,curryleaves and small onions,when onions turns golden pour top it on the sambar.
9. Stir when serving.Yummy sambar to go with VenPongal.

Tips

• You can use any  one type of dhall ,using three gives nice taste and flavor
• Small onions will give a nice flavor ,try using only small onion for grounding.
• Seasoning in the last is enriches the flavor of the dish
• It is not spicy ,so adjust spice levels to your palate.

Sending this  to  South Indian Cooking Series of Anu's Healthy Kitchen  hosted by Divya