Shallot sambar - Vengaya sambar

Ingredients:

Shallot - Vengayam - 4 nos.
Red gram dhal/Toor dhal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Tomatoes - Thakkali - 1 no.
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 1 no.
Green chilly - Pachai milagai - 1 no.
Red chilly powder - Milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Sambar powder - Sambar podi - 1 table spoon
Fenugreek powder - Vendaya powder - 1/2 table spoon
Hing/Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.

For tempering:
Oil - Ennai - for frying
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 1/2 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham parupppu - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity

Other items:
Coriander/Cilantro - For garnishing
Salt

Method:

Wash and soak dal in water for some 10 minutes. Add little turmeric, hing and a drop of oil and pressure cook it for some 15 minutes. Then cut shallots and keep other ingredients. Make tamarind paste, cut onions, tomatoes and keep pan in stove, heat oil, splutter mustard, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilly, green chilly, black gram dal, curry leaves, garlic,then add shallots, tomatoes, red chilly powder, coriander powder, salt, sambar powder, tamarind extract, then allow the mixture to boil for some 10 minutes. Now add boiled and mashed dhal and cook the content for some 10 minutes. Finally add fenugreek powder and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice, roti, chappathi, idli, dosa. This can be served for 4 persons. It requires 30 minutes to prepare.

Note: Tamarind may have dust particles, so remove them using filter.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed. We can add cashew nuts, pearl onions if required.

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

Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.

M.F.K. Fisher