Pepper-Garlic Sambar:(Country Style)

Milagu Paruppu Sambar or Pepper Sambar/ Vendhaya Paruppu Sambar or Fenugreek Sambar. Plain Country Style Sambar or Venghaya Sambar/ Onion Sambar. ‘Molaga Killi Potta sambar /Milaga killi potta sambar’…..this is what they actually call this recipe.But I feel ‘Milugu Sambar’ or ‘Vendhaya Sambar’ is the most appropriate name for it.

This is one of the country style recipe, I crave for. Its my Grandpa’s favourite recipe it seems. The differnce here is, the usage of ‘cracked pepper’ and ‘crushed garlic’ is unique about this recipe. Anyway….the other important thing is using ‘freshly powdered fenugreek seeds’ which is eventually called as ‘vendhayam’ in Tamil. I am pretty sure…..this recipe is always cooked when you are sick, in most of the houses. It helps to feel you better, when one is running fever and cough-cold. You may feel weird….though I call this ‘sambar’ I am not going to use any chili powder or sambar powder here actually. This is the way its prepared. I bet this will be great than the usual Tamizhar Style Sambar. Give a try sometime!

Ingredients:

Thoor dal 1-2 cup
Onion 2 chopped
Garlic 2 peeled and semi-crushed
Tomato 2 chopped
Thick tamarind paste 1/2 spoon
Sesame oil 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon

For seasoning:

Pepper 1 spoon roasted and semi-crushed
Dry red chillies 6-8 slitted with hands
Curry leaves 3-4 twigs
Mustard 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chenna dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Roast and Powder:

Pepper 1 spoon (one can actually crack pepper instead)
Fenugreek seeds 1-2 spoons
Dhaniya/coriander seeds 1 cup

Method:

1. In a deep bottomed pressure pan……add 1/2 cup of oil.

2. Once the is smoky hot…..add mustard’s, cumin seeds, chenna dal, urad dal, asfotida and curry leaves. Let the seeds pop well…..dal gets roasted…..curry leaves becomes crispy. Now set them aside in a cup. (one can use this for garnishing along with coriander leaves after making sambar. Or one can continue making sambar along with this too.)

3. In the same pan add remaining oil.

4. Once the oil comes to smoky hot turn down the stove to medium flame. Maintain the whole process in medium to high flame only.

5. Add crushed peeper, red chillies and garlic……fry them till good flavour…..at the same time garlic should not be over fried.

6. Now add onions and tomato and fry till the onions are translucent and tomato looses till water content.

7. Once the oil shows up on top…..add salt and turmeric.

8. Now add thoor dal plus 3-4 cups of water (or enough water for cooking thoor dal) and pressure cook them….till 3 whistles. Make sure of not to over cook this dal as we do for regular sambar. The dal should be cooked but still retains its shape.

9.Now add tamarind paste.

10. Further add roasted and powdered pepper, fenugreek seeds and coriander seeds.

11. garnish with coriander leaves and seasonings prepared in step 2.

12. Allow this sambar to boil once or twice now.

This can be taken along with plain rice or idlies.