Chow Chow Sambar

Chow Chow Sambar

Ingredients

Chow Chow / Chayote / Bangalore Kathirikai ( chopped)– 1 no

Toordal ( cooked and mashed) – ¾ cup

Small onions / Shallots ( chopped)- 10 nos

Tomato ( chopped) – 1 no

Curry leaves ( chopped) – few

Coriander leaves - handful

Tamarind extract – ¼ cup

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 2tsp

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Asafetida - pinch

Sambar masala ingredients

Coriander seeds – 1 and 1/4 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds / Vendhayam – ¼ tsp

Chettinad Chow Chow Sambar

Method

1.      Dry roast and grind ingredients given under sambar masala to fine powder.

2.      Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, asafetida  and curry leaves and allow to splutter.

3.      Add onions and sauté until onions turn soft, now add the chopped chow chow and stir fry for a minute.

4.      Add the tomato to the pan and sauté until tomato is cooked and mushy, add red chili powder, turmeric powder, freshly ground sambar powder and give a stir.

5.      Add the tamarind extract, a cup of water and required salt to pan.

6.      Bring sambar to boil, cover pan with lid and simmer sambar on low heat for 5 mins until the raw taste of tamarind leaves and chow chow is cooked.

7.      Finally add the cooked toor dal and coriander leaves, stir well and turn of the heat.

8.      Serve hot chow chow sambar with

Steamed rice and Potato fry

Idly or Dosa.

Chefs tips

1.      Freshly ground sambar masalas gives fresh aroma to sambar or you can substitute it with 1 tbsp of store bought or home-made sambar powder.