Potato Sambar:

Urulaikizhangu Sambar. Aloo Sambar

When I was a kid….Mommy leaves me behind….to visit her parents(during summer vacation). Myself and Dad will have lot of fun together! Yeah…you guessed, I am still Daddy’s little Princess! Daddy takes me to office(sometimes…if it is a trip for an Inspection or Feild Visit)….otherwise I have to stay at home. In the evenning he will surprise me taking to Restaurants and we’ll go watching movies! When we are really bored….Dad also cooks wonderful meals to me! One such unusual dish is ‘Potato Sambar’! I don’t know maybe you guys know this already….but my mother never made this sambar(ever)….so when Dad made this….it was simply Awesome! He has invented(atleast for me)several dishes like this! So….on the other day…I was kind of missing those lovely old days! Tho’ Potato is not anymore my choice of veggie….felt like being with Dad! So here you go!

Ingredients:

Potato 1/4 kilo(Sliced into wedges)
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.

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 transluscent.

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

Now stir-in sliced veggies 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 powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

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