This recipe was shared by my Mommy’s friend Mythili’s Mother. They are our friends. Mommy and Mythili are friends for about 30-32 years. Mythili aunty’s mother is a good cook in the family. It seems she used cook food….when I was 1-2 year old and feed me. Mommy refers her speciality Sambar all the time. Like each day she prepares sambar powder….right from the scratch. Wow…isn’t it amazing! She uses turmeric roots instead of powder. Oh my goodness! All the earthiness! Moreover mommy tells…she wet-grinds all her sambar masala in a stone grinder(ammi/ ural) Oh! no words to describe her hard work towards sambar! Must be hell of a cook. It seems though it sounds much like araithu vitta sambar…she makes this over carrot sambar, most of the time. The sweetish taste from carrot and hot spices go well together! So this recipe is dedicated to Mythili’s Mother! Maybe I am ain’t good enough…but I tried my best.

Ingredients:

Carrots 1/4 kilo(roughly chopped)
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

Masala Preparation:

(Fry these each separately in oil till reddish brown and till fragrant. Wet grind to thick paste altogether)

Thoor dal 3 spoons
Chenna dal 3 spoons
Urad dal 3 spoons
Coriander seeds 1 cup
Dry red chilies 10
Fenugreek seeds 2 spoons
Asafoetda 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Grated coconut 1 bowl full.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.

Now set this dal aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is translucent.

Then add tomatoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in chopped carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Maybe till the oil coats.

Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.

When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar masala and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

In a separate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasoning over the sambar prepared.