Prakash K. Sivanathan, Niranjala M. Ellawala

Sambar

Name: Sambar
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: 100 g (3½ oz) carrots (about 1 large), medium diced; 200 ml (7 fl oz/generous ¾ cup) tamarind water (medium strength); 2 tsp Sambar Podi spice blend; 1 tsp salt; 100 g (3½ oz) pumpkin (about ½ small), cut into 1 cm (½-inch) chunks; 100 g (3½ oz) aubergine (eggplant), cut into 1cm (½-inch) chunks; 8 x 2.5 cm (1-inch) drumsticks, with outer green skin removed (optional); 5 fresh curry leaves; ½ tsp cumin seeds; 2 dried red chillies, broken; ½ medium onion, finely chopped; 1 green chilli, slit lengthways with seeds in; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 2 tbsp oil; ½ tsp mustard seeds; 150 g (5½ oz/¾ cup) red lentils; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 300 ml (10½ fl oz/1¼ cups) water; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 11 fresh curry leaves (optional); 2 tbsp freshly grated or desiccated (shredded) coconut; ½ tsp asafoetida powder; 100 g (3½ oz/1½ cups) coriander seeds; ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds; 7 dried red chillies; ½ tsp black peppercorns; 100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) urid dal (split black gram); 100 g (3½ oz/scant ½ cup) chana dal (split chick peas)

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Sri Lanka

By Prakash K. Sivanathan and Niranjala M. Ellawala

Published 2017

About

Ingredients

150 g (5½ oz/¾ cup) red lentils
300

Asia
Sri Lanka
Stew
Vegan
Gluten-free

Method

Make the Sambar Podi spice blend

In a dry frying pan (skillet) over a low heat, dry-roast the urid dal and chana dal until they turn golden, taking care not to burn them. Tip them into a dry bowl. In the same pan, dry-roast the coriander and fenugreek seeds for a minute, and add the chillies and peppercorns and dry-roast for another minute. Add the cumin se