TIFFIN SAMBAR
- Preparation Time:20 minutes
- Cooking Time:20 minutes
Ingredients
½ cup toor dal,
1 cup yellow pumpkin, cut into cubes (butternut squash would work)
¼ teaspoon turmeric
2 cups of water
1 tablespoon ghee
1 tablespoon neutral oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoons of urad dal
⅛ teaspoon hing
10 to 12 curry leaves
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon sambar powder (recipe below or store bought)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp, dissolved in ½ cups of warm water
1 teaspoon jaggery
Sambar powder (or use store-bought)
1 table spoon channa dal
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
3 to 4 dried red chillies
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
METHOD TO PREPARE
Rinse your dal till the water runs clear. Add your washed dal to an instant pot along with water, and turmeric. Close the lid of the instant pot and turn the vent to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
While the dal is cooking. Prepare the sambar powder. Heat a small skillet to medium heat. Add channa dal and dry roast for a few minutes, till the dal is lightly golden. Add the remaining ingredients and roast for 2–3 more minutes. Take it off the heat and blend everything to a coarse powder. This can be made a few days in advance.
Heat a large pot on medium-high heat. Add oil and ghee.
When hot, add mustard seeds. When it starts crackling, add in urand dal, hing, curry leaves, and turmeric. Stir for 20 seconds until everything is fragrant.
Add in the tomatoes and shallots and stir till everything is well combined in the tempering. Continue to cook it for another 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
Next, add in the sambar powder and stir for 30 seconds until everything is fragrant.
Add tamarind pulp, salt, and jaggery. Also, add 1 cup of water. Let it come to a boil, then continue to cook it for another 5 minutes.
When the dal is cooked, mash it with the back of a ladle till it is soft.
Stir the mashed dal and pumpkin into the pot and let the sambar continue to simmer for 8–10 minutes. Add another cup of water if the sambar becomes too thick.
Serve hot with rice, idli, dosa, or pongal.
