Hotel Sambar /Restaurant style sambar

Whenever we get a chance to go to any South Indian restaurants, one thing that always pulls me is the sambar that they make. Even though am not a big fan of Idly/pongal, for the sake of that sambar i generally order idly. The flavour and the taste of that restaurant style sambar has really amazed me and i have always tried many times about bringing the same taste at home.

After a lot of trials, researches and reference from my uncle who was a chef,i finally found the recipe for restaurant style sambar. There is a magical 'multi purpose spice powder' that we need, to make this sambar.

Ingredients:

Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - small lemon sized
Carrot/beans/drumstick - cut into small pieces
Small onion - 1 handful with skin removed
Curry leaves
Corriander leaves
Multi purpose spice powder - 3 tbsp
turmeric powder - a pinch
jaggery - very little
Salt - as required

For seasoning:

Oil - 2 tsp
Red chilly - 2 nos
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Hing - a pinch

Preparation to be done before cooking:

1. Cook toor dal with little turmeric powder and mash it nicely. Keep it aside.
2. Soak tamarind in little water for atleast 20 mins and keep it aside.
3. Cut small onion and veggies and keep it ready.

Method:

1. Heat oil in a kadai. Add red chilly, mustard seeds and jeera.

2. Add small onion and curry leaves and saute them nicely till the onion turns golden brown.

3. Add carrots and continue sauteing.

4. After 2 mins,extract juice from tamarind (extract 2 or 3 times and mix them together) and pour it to the veggie mixture. Add salt and turmeric powder. Allow the veggies to get cooked in the tamarind extract.

5. Add the mashed dal and multi purpose spice powder and allow the sambar to get cooked till it reaches a consistency not so watery or not so thick.

6. Now add the jaggery and sprinkle the corriander leaves and switch off the flame.

7. Serve idly with steaming hot Sambar and a spoon of ghee on top.

Tips:

1. Use veggies like carrot/drumstick/beans to get a nativity about the restaurant style sambar.

2. Small onions and the multi purpose spice powder play a major role in getting the flavor and texture of the sambar.

3. Adding very small amount of jaggery at the end is optional. For those who doesnt like the taste of jaggery can skip it.

4. Do not add tomatoes to this sambar.

Enjoy restaurant style sambar :) Do try this recipe and let me know your comments