Araithuvitta Sambhar (Freshly Ground Sambhar)

Popularity: This means fresh ground Sambhar. i.e. the powder for Sambhar is roasted and ground freshly along with the Sambhar Preparation and we do not use the sambhar powder that we use normally. Araithuvitta Sambhar / Arachuvitta Sambar is a very famous samayal among most Iyer households esp for festivals and Virundhu.

Ingredients:

1.       Vegetable for Thaan: Drum Stick, Mullangi, Beans, Carrot, Onion, Potato, Chow Chow, Avaraikkai, Pumpkin (White / Yellow) or a combination of the above vegetables.

2.       Tamarind: Size of two small sized lemon

3.       Salt

4.       Red Chilly: 7 or 8

5.       Coriander Seeds: 2 tbsp

6.       Gram dal: 2 tbsp, toor dal: 2 tsp

7.       Cooked Toor dal: 1 ladle

8.       Grated Coconut: 1 small ladle.

9.       Curry Leaves

10.   Mustard

11.   Fenugreek: ½ tsp

12.   Asafoedita

13.   Oil: 2 tsps

14.   Ghee: 2 tsp

15.   Turmeric powder

16.   Water

Preparation Procedure:

1. Extract Tamarind juice from warm water (say 400 ml).
2. Cook Toor dal and half cook the vegetables separately.
3. In a kadai, add 2 tsp oil and roast the following ingredients and keep it aside:

Red Chilly, Coriander Seeds, Gram dal, Toor .

4. Grind the above mixture with coconut and 2 or 3 curry leaves in the form of a paste.
5. You can reuse the same kadai to make the Sambhar. Add 2 tsp ghee and splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek and add asafoedita. Now add the half cooked vegetable and fry them lightly keeping the stove in sim. You can use oil also instead of ghee.
6. Now add tamarind water and add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt and allow it to boil for 10 minutes till the vegetable is 3/4^th cooked.
7. Now add the grinded paste and few curry leaves and allow it to boil for 10 minutes.
8. Mash the cooked Toor dal and add to the sambhar in the kadai. Allow it for very few minutes and switch off the stove.