Brinjal, Drumstick, Mango sambar - Kathirikai Murungakkai Mangai sambar

Ingredients:

Brinjal - Kathirikai - 2 nos.
Drumstick - Murungakkai - 1 no.
Mango - Mangai - 1 no. (Small)
Pigeon pea/red gram dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Pearl onion - Sambar vengayam - 1/4 kg
Tomato - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Red chilli powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Sambar powder - Sambar podi - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal Podi - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Tamarind - Puli - small quantity
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham parupu - 1 table spoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai/koparai - 1 table spoon
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Ghee - Nei - 1 table spoon

Method:

1. Wash and keep dal in pressure cooker adding a pinch of asafoetida, turmeric powder and 1 tea spoon of oil. Pour 2 cups of water and keep for 20 minutes. Once it is boiled keep it aside.
2. Wash and cut brinjals, drumsticks and mango. Boil it and keep it aside. Peel off the skin from onions, chopp it and chopp tomatoes and keep ready. Soak tamarind in hot water, filter all dust particles and keep it aside.
3. Prepare sambar powder, grind grated coconut, pearl onion, curry leaves and garlic and make it to a paste.
4. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black gram dal, fenugreek, add curry leaves, green chillies, red chillies and fry them. Now add pearl onions and fry them well. Add tomatoes and a little salt and fry them well.
5. Now add all the vegetables and let it boil for some 5 minutes. Now add tamarind paste and mix them well. Once it starts boiling add sambar powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and the coconut paste.
6. Finally add smashed dal and ghee and allow it to cook for some 15 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Hot sambar is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served with white rice. It can be served for 4 people. It is also called araithu vitta sambar. It requires 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Sambar powder can be prepared at home, I have mentioned how to prepare it in podi varieties.

Optional: Capsicum can be added to this. Ingredients can be added/removed.

At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely

W.Somerset Maugham