Recipe for Central Kerala Style Sambar Without Coconut /Kerala Sambar

Preparation Time : 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Serves : 4-6
Ingredients :
Mixed Vegetables : 1 1/2 cup ( cut into medium pieces) See notes for the list of vegetables used for sambar
Veggies I have used for this recipe are
Drumsticks : 1 no (cut lengthwise)
Lady`s finger : 5-6 nos (cut into 2" pieces)
Potatoes : 1 (large, cubed)
Tomato : 1 (medium, chopped)
Small Red Onions /Shallots : Handful (cut into halves) or Onion /Savola : 1(medium, sliced thickly)
Green Chilly : 2-3 (slit, lengthwise)
Yellow Pigeon Peas /Toor daal : 1 cup
Tamarind : Gooseberry sized (soaked in half a cup of hot water for 10 mins)
Asafoetida/Kayam : 1 small piece /1/2 tsp of Asafoetida powder
Coriander leaves : 1 sprig
Salt to taste
For Tempering :
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds : 2 pinches
Curry leaves : 1 sprig
Coriander powder : 2 tsp
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp (or to your tolerance level)
Sambar Powder : 3 tsp
Coconut Oil or any Cooking Oil : 1 tbsp
Method of Preparation :
1. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water for sometime, squeeze and take the extract from it. Keep aside. 2. Pressure cook toor daal /yellow pigeon pea with water, 1/4 tsp of tumeric powder and salt for 4- 5 whistle.
3. After the pressure settles open the cooker and add the vegetables, which are slow to cook like potatoes,drumsticks.
4. Meanwhile in a frying pan; add 1 tbsp of coconut oil and throw the chopped ladies finger, saute it well; now add handful of small onion and saute till it become transparent, followed by chopped tomato; reduce the flame to medium and close pan and cook for couple of mins. Remove from the fire and keep it aside.
5. Now add the tamarind juice to cooked dal vegetable mixtures; stir and simmer on low flame for some more time, add more salt if needed.
6. When the vegetables are cooked and mixed well with dal. Add fried shallots, ladies finger and tomatoes mix everything well and bring to boil.
7. Sprinkle asafoetida powder and simmer for a minute. Remove from flame and keep aside.
8. Heat oil in a pan /wok; add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter, throw the dried red chillies and half of the curry leaves and fry for a minute.
9. Mix in the sambar powder, coriander powder and chilly powder and saute for couple of minutes on low flame. (Note : Take care not burn the spices/masala powders. Boiling masala powder long spoil the taste, that why we add towards end.)
10. Pour the sambar to the pan/wok; mix well for a few minutes. Remove from flame and sprinkle 1/4 tsp coconut oil and add chopped coriander leaves, reaming curry leaves and keep covered till served. Let the flavor set.
11. Mix the curry well before serving...Serve with rice or Idili, Dosa. and Enjoy!