Toor Dal Sambar - Lentil Curry

Is the sambar inviting you ?

Though there are different types of sambar recipes,  this is one of the quickest, easiest and healthiest.  This recipe will specially come in handy for working moms and for my bachelor friends out there. My kids love to eat sambar with ghee and I usually get a clean plate with sambar rice.  What else do I need? So here goes the recipe...

Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 20 min

Main Ingredients

Serving size: 6

Soak the dal and cut vegetables of your choice

Ingredients

• Toor dal - 3/4 cup
• Medium size onion - 1(OR 10 to 15 pearl onions for authentic taste)
• Medium size tomato - 1
• Green chillies - 2
• Garlic cloves - 5 to 6
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing 
• Chilli Dhania powder(or Sambar powder) - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp 
• Salt to taste

For seasoning

• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Split urad dal - few
• Cumin seeds - few
• Fennel seeds - few
• Curry leaves - few
• Hinge - small piece or 3 pinch if powder
• Olive oil - 3 tsp

NOTE:

Do the cooking in pressure cooker

• Optionally you can use toor dal, moong dal and masoor dal in the ratio of 2:1:1 for added taste.
• Also I have used pearl onions for the authentic taste, but you can use a normal one.
• You can use vegetables of your choice like carrot, beans, brinjal, drumstick, etc.

Preparation

1. Get started by soaking the dal in water until its time to add it to the pressure cooker.
2. Chop the onions(if not using pearl onions) and tomato.

Cooking

Add 3 cups of water and finally add the vegetables

1. In a pressure cooker, heat 5 tsp of oil on medium heat and add mustard seeds. 
2. Once the mustard splutters, add urad dal, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves, hinge and green chillies (split in half). Saute for 5 seconds.
3. To the seasoned spices, add the onion and garlic cloves and saute for 30 seconds.
4. Once the onions turn golden brown, add the chopped tomato and saute until the tomato is half mashed.
5. Add the turmeric and chilli dhania powder and saute for 10 seconds.

   

   Pressure cooked sambar ready in minutes

6. To the masala, add the soaked dal, salt and 3 cups of water.
7. Optionally you can add some vegetables(I added brinjal and drumstick) and finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
8. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. Lo, the tasty sambar is ready!
9. Serve it with hot rice or Idli/Dosa and enjoy.

Nutritional facts

Toor dal is rich in protein to rejuvenate body building cells. Toor dal is rich in dietary fiber too that helps digestion. Toor dal is also rich in folic acid good for expecting moms for fetal growth. Tomato is rich in beta-carotene for eye health. Onion and tomato are rich in vitamin C which provides immunity to the body. Green chillies have vitamin A which is beneficial for bones, teeth and mucous membranes. For the health benefits of spices used refer "Essential Spices for Healthy Cooking".

Enjoy sambar with rice and ghee !

Try this simple and quick sambar recipe and let me know how it goes...

You may also be interested in the following recipes:

Madras Kaara Kozhambu - Spicy Coconut Curry 

Avial - South Indian Vegetable Yogurt Curry 

Soya Chunks Curry