Brinjal Sambar - Kathirikai Sambhar

Ingredients:

Red gram - Thuvaram Paruppu - 1 cup
Brinjal - Kathirikkai - 1/4 kg
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Medium size)
Pearl onion - sambar vengayam - 4 nos. (Medium size)
Tomatoes - Thakkali - 2 nos. (Small)
Tamarind - Puli - small quantity
Green chillies - Pachai millagai - 2 nos. (medium size)
Red chillies - Kaintha millagai - 2 nos.
Black gram - ullutham paruppu - 1 teaspoon
Bengal gram - kadalai paruppu - 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 1 spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 teaspoon
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.
Grated coconut - 1 teaspoon
Corriander seeds - Dhaniya - 1 spoon
Red chilli powder - millagai thul - 1 spoon
Corriander powder - Dhaniya thul - 2 spoons
Salt - Uppu to taste
Oil - Ennai for frying
Mustard - Kadugu - small quantity
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Corriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity

Method:

1. Boil toor dhal in a pressure cooker after adding required water, a pinch of turmeric powder, asfoetida, and 2 drops of oil .
2. Soak tamarind in hot water for about 10 minutes so that it will be easy to make it as a paste.
3. Cut brinjal and boil it for around 10 minutes and keep ready in a vessel after adding a little salt.
4. Cut onions, tomatoes, green chilles and keep in a plate .
5. Wash curry leaves and corriander leaves and keep it aside.
6. Fry fenugreek seeds till it turns light brown and grind it to a powder form.
7. Pour some oil in a pan and heat it for some 3 minutes, then add mustard, black gram, bengal gram, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, green chilles, curry leaves and fry for some time, then fry onions followed by tomatoes and finally brinjal, then add red chilli powder and corriander powder and salt to taste along with garlic, now add tamarind paste and finally dhal and cook for around 10-15 minutes and finally add fenugreek powder, coriander leaves, grated coconut and boil for some 2 minutes .

Brinjal sambar is delicious to be served with idly, dosa and rice . It can be served for 4 people. Requires some 25 minutes to cook.

Note: Toor dhal should be nicely smashed before adding to pan. Tamarind should be filtered before adding because it will be having some kind of dust particles, sand.....Green chillies should be finely cut (cut length wise). Fenugreek powder is very good for health and it will remove heat from our body.

Optional: Any vegetables other than brinjal can be added like drum stick (Murungakai), Mango (Mangai), Ladies finger (Vendakai), Parsnip (White Mullangi), Turnip (Nookal), Chayote (Bangalore kathirikai). Ghee can be added if served with rice. Vegetables whatever we choose has to be cleaned and boiled well separately before adding to sambhar. Even capsicum (Kodai milagai can be added to sambar. It will taste good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brinjal

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.

Harriet Van Horne