Simple and Easy Sambar

Ingredients:

Toor dhal	4 tbsp
Turmeric powder	2 pinch
Garlic	4 – 5 cloves peeled
Asafoetida	2 pinch
Sour Tomatoes	3 medium
Water	1 cup
Onion	1 small
Red chilli / Coriander powder mix	1 tsp
(Mix Red Chilly and Coriander Powder mix :: 100 : 150 gms)
Salt to taste
Oil	4 tsp

Ingredients for tempering

Small (sambar) Onions	2 (or ¼ from a onion)
Red chilli	1
Curry leaves	6 – 8
Mustard	little
Oil	3 tsp

Method:

1. Wash and soak the toor dhal with 1 cup of water for 1 hr. Then add turmeric powder, garlic, asafoetida and mix well. Place tomatoes over the dhal and cover the vessel with a plate. Place this in a cooker and pressure cook for 5 whistles and lower the flame for 10 minutes (adding dhal directly to the cooker, may ooze out. Try this method).
2. Once pressure comes down, remove cooked tomatoes to a plate. Strain the dhal water and store. Mash the dhal using a whisker. Pour the stored water to mashed dhal and keep aside.
3. Now preparing sambar: Chop the onion into fine pieces. Heat a kadai with 4 tsp of oil and add chopped onion. Fry till dark pink. Lower the flame and add cooked tomatoes, little turmeric powder, red chilli- coriander powder mix and salt. Saute till soft and mushy. Now add dhal mix along with one more cup of water. Adjust salt if needed. Boil for 3-5 minutes and transfer into a vessel.
4. Now tempering the sambar (dhal). Slice the small onions and break the Chilli (discard the seeds). Heat a kadai with 3 tsp of oil. Add mustard and allow to splutter. Add sliced Onions and fry till light brown. Lower the flame and add red chilli and curry leaves. Just saute a second and immediately transfer it into prepared sambar. Simple and easy sambar is ready.

Serve with hot rice and with a spicy side dish.