Onam or sadhya is incomplete without feasting on Sambar. Sambar is usually served with steamed rice.This is one of the main courses of both formal and everyday south Indian cuisine. In all the South Indian states, vada sambar and idli sambar are popular for breakfast or lunch, and is often served as a side dish at dinner. Sambar is a healthy dish with the vegetables and dal giving the right nutrition.Here is the very simple recipes of making sambar.

Ingredients

Dal – 1/2 cup
Vegetables – 1 cup
Shallot Onions – 8- 10 (or 1 onion chopped)
Green Chilly – 1 or 2
Tomatoes – 1
Tamarind Juice – 1 1/2 tblsp
Sambhar powder – 1 tblsp
Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 5-7 seeds
Dry red Chillies – 2
Curry leaves – 2 strands

Method
•Boil the dal by adding little water .You can cook it using the pressure cooker for 1 whistles. Alternatively cook it in a normal vessel till it is a bit overcooked and is almost mashed up.
•After the pressure is released, mash the dal using the back of a spoon or with hand .
•Add the chopped vegetables to it and cook for 1 whistle.
•Add the tamrind juice,salt and sambar powder and boil it for sometime. Reduce the flame and simmer for 20 minutes for the flavours to blend. A nice aroma of sambhar will be filled throughout the house.
•Heat oil in a deep vessel and splutter the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida.
Saute the onions and green chillies and little chilly powder to it.
• Serve with rice, idli and dosa varieties.

Notes

• The choice of vegetables can include brinjal, potato, radish, drumstick, spinach, shallot onions, tomato, raw mango, carrot, zucchini, yellowsquash, lima beans, pumpkin, yam, taroroot, okra, knolkhol etc
• You can add little coconut milk/grated coconut while cooking the sambhar for a nice taste.
• You can also use masoor dal or green gram dal or a combination of dals
• You can also skip the tamarind and add 2-3 additional tomatoes to make sambhar.