Thengai Sambar / Coconut Sambar

Thengai Sambar

This is my granny very special sambar recipe, for this sambar the coconut has to be fresh and grated very finely. This sambar is ideal when no vegetable or sambar powder is available in you pantry. It's optional to add veggies, believe me no sambar powder is required . I have used horse radish in this sambar you can also use carrot, chow chow or brinjal to make this delicious sambar( but avoid okra, drumstick or broad beans).

Ingredients
Radish ( sliced) - 2 nos
Shallots ( chopped) - 7 nos or Onion medium ( chopped) - 1/2 no
Tomato small ( chopped) - 1 no
Curry leaves - few
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp mixed with 1/4 cup water
Toor dal cooked - 1/2 cup
Fresh coconut finely grated - 1/4 cup
Red chilli powder - 3/4 to 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 t
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - pinch
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1 cup

Coconut Sambar

Method
1. Heat oil in a deep pan, when hot add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds, when they starts splutter add chopped onion and curry leaves, sauté until onions are transparent.
2. Add sliced radish to the pan and sauté for a minute.
3. Add chopped tomatoes to the pan and cook until tomatoes are soft.
4. Next add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and tamarind water to the pan, mix well and add 1 cup water to the pan.
5. Bring to boil and season with required salt, cover the pan with lid and boil until radish is cooked.
6. Now add the cooked toor dal to the pan and stir well, check consistency of sambar.
7. Add the grated coconut to sambar, mix well and let it boil for a minute or two minutes.
Serve hot Coconut Sambar with
Steamed rice
Arbi roast
Rasam