Yields: 4 Servings Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 15 Mins Cook Time: 10 Mins Total Time: 25 Mins
A very popular Tamilnadu food is Idly. You go to any part of the world or even outside of Tamilnadu, you will definitely start to long for this. While Idly is a staple and all-time favorite for every age group, its taste is definitely elevated with its best friend Sambar. You start two Idlis first, soak them in a cup of sambar and demand for the next set of Idly and then sambar, with the game going on. The sambar which we prepare for rice is different from the Idli sambar/ Tiffin Sambar. Tiffin sambar is a little runny and less spicy against its counterpart for rice.
Every household has different flavors for this tiffin sambar. In my household, I use both moong dal and toor dal in equal ratio to prepare this sambar. In addition to this, I also add half a cup of finely chopped yellow pumpkin, that gives a sweet tint to this sambar. The fresh sambar powder with the right blend of vegetables and lentils is definitely a wonderful accompaniment for steamed Idlis, making you demand more of it. Enjoy this with your family and leave it your comments.
Ingredients
Adjust Servings
- Main Ingredients
- Tempering Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash and pressure cook dal with a pinch of turmeric powder for three whistles. Allow them to cool down.
- Mash the dal and set aside. Extract a thin juice from tamarind and add turmeric powder to it.
- Peel the small onions and fine chop the yellow pumpkin. Heat a kadai and drizzle oil as required.
- Once its hot, add mustard seeds, Urad dal followed by red chilli and curry leaves. Add small onions, slit green chili and saute until they turn golden brown. Add finely chopped pumpkin and cook until they are half done.
- Add the tamarind juice, salt and sambar powder. Cover with a lid and cook until the rawness of the mixture goes off.
- Add the mashed dal and cook until they thicken. Add Asafoetida powder before switching off the stove for that wonderful aroma. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot idles or dosa or pongal.
Notes
- You can skip anyone dal and do just with moong or toor dal.
- Instead of adding tamarind juice, you can also add grounded tomato juice for a different taste and flavor.