Small onion sambar






A super delicious variation to normal veg sambar is small onion sambar. Also called South Indian onion it adds a nice flavour to the sambar. For the spice mix we can either use fresh ground paste or as I do a short cut of sambar powder with coconut paste. For fresh ground paste refer to notes for procedure.

Ingredients
Shallots/Chinna Vengayam – 10-15
Tuvar Dal – 1/3 cup/2 tbsp
Tamarind – big gooseberry size ball
Salt to taste
Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
Sambar powder - 2 tbsp
Coconut - 1tbsp
Jaggery – 1 tsp (optional)
Ghee – 1 tbsp

For tempering
Oil – 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Dry red chilli - 1
Curry leaves – few
Coriander leaves – few sprigs for garnish

Method

1) Peel the onions and keep ready.
2) Pressure cook the dal with tumeric powder and hing.
3) Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes, squeeze and take out the extract.
4) In the small kadai add a tsp of ghee, and fry the onions. When it is golden colour add tamarind extract, turmeric powder, salt to taste and jaggery and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 6 to 7 minutes on medium heat or till the raw smell of the tamarind disappears and the onions.
5) In a pan add 1/2 oil and fry the coconut and sambar powder for a minute. Cool it and grind it in the mixer. Now add the mashed dal and grind for one time. This will mix the masala and dal together.
6) Add the dal and sambar paste to the onions boiling in the pan and adjust consistency of sambar.
7) Bring to boil and remove from heat.
8) Heat a small frying pan with oil, temper with mustard seeds, dry red chilli and curry leaves and pour over the sambar.
9) Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot.

Note:
Procedure for fresh paste.
Roast and grind.
Coriander Seeds – 1.5 tbsp
Channa Dal– 1 tbsp
Methi Seeds – ¼ tsp
Dried Red Chillies – 3 to 4
Coconut – 1/3 cup, scraped, fresh or frozen
Oil – ½ tsp

Heat a kadai with ½ tsp oil add the channa dal, dhaniya, methi and red chillies and roast by constant stirring, on medium flame till the dal turns golden. Take care not to burn the spices. Transfer to a plate and cool.
Cool and grind the above roasted ingredients along with the coconut using little water.

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