Carrot sambar

Ingredients:

Red gram dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Carrot - 200 gms
Tomato - Thakkali - 1 no.
Tamarind - Puli - lemo size
Green chilly - Pachai milagai - 1 no.
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Sambar powder - Sambar podi - 1 table spoon
Fenugreek powder - Vendaya podi - 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal Podi - 1 tea spoon
Hing/Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - for garnishing

For tempering:
Oil - Ennai - for frying
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 1/2 tea spoon
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 1 no.

Method:

Wash, cook and mash dal. Wash, peel off the skin from carrot and cut into small pieces (Shape as desired). Extract tamarind paste after removing dust particles. Keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilly, black gram dal, curry leaves, now add hing, then onions with little salt followed by tomatoes, now add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, sambar powder, hing, garlic, green chilly and then carrot. Add required salt, tamarind extract. Allow this mixture to boil until carrots are cooked. We can even cook carrot separately and add to the content. Now add mashed dhal, finally add fenugreek powder and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with idly, dosa, chappathi, rice. This can be served for 4 persons. This requires 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Always add fenugreek powder in the end. Do not allow to boil after adding because it will give bitter taste. Fenugreek is good for health. It will take off heat from the body. It will help to grow hair.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed. Grated/Shredded coconuts can be added.

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

The art of dining well is no slight art, the pleasure not a slight pleasure

Michel de Montaigue