Arachuvitta Sambar Recipe – Sambar With Fresh Ground Spices

Ingredients

• 1 cup Arhar dal (Split Toor Dal)
• 1-1/2 cups Tamarind Water
• 1/2 cup Pearl onions (Sambar Onions) quartered
• 1 Mooli/ Mullangi (Radish) diced
• 2 Carrot (Gajjar) diced
• 1 Tomato diced
• 1 Drumstick cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons Coriander (Dhania) Seeds
• 1 tablespoon Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal)
• 1 tablespoon White Urad Dal (Split)
• 4 Dry Red Chillies
• 1 teaspoon Methi Seeds (Fenugreek Seeds)
• 1/4 cup Fresh coconut grated
• 1 teaspoon Sesame (Gingelly) Oil or regular oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu)
• 1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida (hing)
• 2 sprig Curry leaves
• 6 sprig Coriander (Dhania) Leaves finely chopped

Steps

1. To begin making the Arachuvitta Sambar Recipe, cook the toor dal in a pressure cooker adding 2 cups of water until you hear couple of whistles. After a couple of whistles, turn the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Once done, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally.
2. Once the pressure is released open the cooker and whisk the dal until smooth. Keep this aside.
3. Prepare the tamarind water according to the recipe and keep it aside. Cut the vegetables and keep aside.
4. Next we will roast the spices for the Arachuvitta sambar recipe.
5. In a small skillet, bengal gram dal and the urad dal; roast them on a medium heat until the dal is well roasted and has turned browned. It's important to roast on low to medium heat to it does not brown too fast.
6. Once it's roasted, add the coriander seeds, methi seeds and red chilies and roast for about a minute until you smell the aroma.
7. Finally, add the grated coconut and roast until the aroma comes through and turn off the heat.
8. Allow the roasted sambar spice mixture to cool a bit. Once cooled, grind the mixture in a mixer grinder to make a powder. Keep this aside.
9. The next step is to cook the vegetables. Into a pressure cooker, add the prepared tamarind water, the cut carrots, radish, drumstick, onions, turmeric powder, salt and the ground sambar powder. Pressure cook for a couple of whistles and turn off the heat.
10. Once the pressure is released, add the cooked dal into the tamarind water. Stir well to combine.
11. Check the salt and adjust to suit your taste. Give the Arachuvitta Sambar a brisk boil for a couple of minutes. Adjust the consistency of the Sambar by adding water and then simmering for a few more minutes.
12. Once done, turn off the heat and stir in the chopped coriander leaves and transfer the Arachuvitta Sambar a serving bowl.
13. The final step is the tadka for the sambar. In a small Tadka Pan, add the sesame oil and allow it to heat up a little. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and allow it to crackle. Finally add the asafoetida powder to oil and stir. Turn off the heat.
14. Add this tadka to the Arachuvitta Sambar, stir and serve hot.
15. Serve the Arachuvitta Sambar along with Steamed Rice, topped with ghee and a vegetable like Andhra StylePavakkai Curry, Avarakkai Poriyalor Masala Roasted Baby Potatoes for a lunch or dinner. You can also combine it along with rice and make it into a One Pot Meal – like Sambar Sadam (Rice) and serve it with Tomato Onion Cucumber Raita.