Ingredients for coconut masala
• Grated Coconut 4 to 5 tbspn
• Fenugreek seeds ¼tspn
• Chenna dal 1tbspn
• Corriander seeds 1½tbspn
• Asafoetida a pinch
• Dry red chille 6 pcs – out of which 2 are Kashmiri red chillis
• Cinnamon stick 1 inch
• Small Onion 1 roughly chopped
• Small Tomato 1 roughly chopped
• Coconut oil or sesame oil 1 ½tbspn
Method to prepare masala.
• Heat oil in a pan, ensure stove is in low flame, add Asafoetida, Fenugreek seeds, Corriander seeds, chenna dal, red chillis and cinnamon stick and roast them well.
• Once you get an aroma of the spices add grated coconut and fry well.
• Keep these aside on a plate and allow it to cool.
• In the same pan add half tbspn oil and fry the onions.
• Once the onions turn transparent add the tomatoes and fry until it cooks.
• Keep aside until it cools down and grind along with the fried spices with little water to a paste.
• Keep this masala aside.
Ingredients to prepare Sambar
• Ground coconut masala (recipe above)
• Toor dal 1 cup soak for half an hour and cook with red pumpkin
• Tamarind water 1 cup
• Onion 1 big cut into petals
• Tomato 1 medium size
• Capsicum 1 cut into big pieces
• Red pumpkin ½ cup de-skin, chopped and boiled with Toor dal
• Carrot 1 cut in circles and boiled separately
• Mustard 1 tspn
• Curry leaves 1 sprig
• Asafoetida 1 pinch
• Coconut oil or sesame oil 1 tbspn
• Corriander leaves handful finely chopped
• Salt as needed
Method
• Firstly, pressure cook the Toor dal for 5 to 6 whistles along with red pumpkin. Make sure you soak the Toor dal for half an hour before cooking.
• The pumpkin needs to get mashed well with Toor dal. Once cooked mash and whisk it well with ladle and keep aside.
• In a wok or a heavy bottom vessel add coconut oil or sesame oil. Once it heats add mustard.
• Allow the Mustard to splutter. Later include Asafoetida, curry leaves.
• Now include the onion and fry them until translucent later add tomato and Capsicum and fry for about 5 min in a low medium flame and add salt to it.
• Now include the boiled carrots and fry for 2 minutes and include one cup tamarind water.
• Allow the vegetables to boil with tamarind water in low flame.
• Now add the mashed Toor dal-pumpkin mixture and the ground masala to the boiling tamarind water.
• Adjust water consistency if its too thick.
• Boil for 5 minutes in low flame and turn off and garnish with finely chopped corriander leaves.
• Serve hot with rice/ Idly/ dosa.
Home 