Sambhar
I ngredients
1 cup toor dal (washed and soaked for 30 minutes)
4-5 strips tamarind soaked for 5 minutes (paste or pulp may also be
used)
1 tbsp. jaggery or sugar
2 tbsp. sambhar masala
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. dhania powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. each cumin and mustard seeds
3 whole red chillies
1 stalk curry leaves
4 onions
1/2 cup pumpkin or bottle gourd boiled and cubed
1 large tomato
1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves
2-3 flakes garlic
salt to taste
2 tbsp. oil
Method
-
Add tamarind, 1/2 tomato & 1 onion chopped,
to the dal.
-
Pressure cook till dal is done very soft. (Approx.
4 whistles)
-
Remove dal and beat with a whisk or churner
till smooth.
-
Grind to a paste, 1 onion, 1/4 tomato, jaggery,
garlic, all dry masalas.
-
Chop the remaining onion and tomato to medium
or fine pieces.
-
Heat oil, add seeds, curry leaves and allow
to splutter.
-
Add onion, pumpkin, tomato and stir fry for
2 minutes.
-
Add paste, and cook for further 2 minutes.
-
Add dal and bring to a boil on high.
-
Add enough water to get sambar consistency.
-
Check and adjust masalas as required.
-
Simmer for 12-15 minutes on low, till the aroma
exudes.
-
Add chopped coriander before serving.
-
Serve steaming hot with idlis, coconut chutney
and ghee.
Note: You may substitute homemade masala with
readymade masala. But you may even prepare the homemade powder in
bulk quantity and store in a clean airtight jar for 6 months.
If using ready made masala, supplement with the following:
1 tsp. dhania seeds, 1 tsp. cumin seeds, 1 stalk curry leaves, 1/2
tsp. methi seeds. roasted and ground together with the ingredients
for paste.
Making Time: 30 minutes (excluding pressure cooking time) Serves:
4-5
Ideal
recipes for Ganesha Festival
 Kadubu
Kadobu is the chief snack for the Vinayaka Festival/
.
Ingredients for making sweet kadubu
For outer covering
-Rice flour-1 cup
-Water-1 cup
-Sesame oil-2 tablespoon
 For
stuffing
-Grated coconut-1cup
-Powdered jaggery - 1 cup
-Powdered cardamom- 4
-Ghee- a table spoon
Method
First boil the water; add two spoons of sesame oil into it and
then add the rice flour. Stir continuously till it becomes thick.
Keep aside for half an hour. Take a portion of this thick mixture
and make it like a hollow hemisphere.
For the inner stuffing mix grated coconut, powered jaggery, powered
cardamoms and heat it over a low flame till it becomes like a paste.
Add a tablespoon of ghee and remove from the flame.
Put this stuffing into the hollow hemisphere and close it. Put this
in a plate and steam in a pressure cooker for about 10 minutes.
For making salty kadubu
Ingredients
For outer covering
-Rice flour-1 cup
-Water-1 cup
-Sesame oil-2 tablespoon
For stuffing
-Urad dal -100 gm
-Green chillies-3
-Salt- ¼ tablespoon of salt
-Asafoetida-a pinch
-Oil-4 tablespoons
For frying
-Mustard seeds
-Grated coconut-6 tablespoon
-Cooked urad dal mixed
-Curry leaves. -
Method
First boil the water. Add two spoons of sesame oil into it and
add the rice flour. Stir continuously till it becomes thick. Keep
aside for half an hour. Take a portion of this and make it into a
hollow hemisphere.
Soak urad dal for an hour. Put green chilies, salt, asafoetida and
grind till it becomes a thick hard paste. Put this paste in idli plates
and steam. Remove when it's cool.
Put four tablespoons of oil in a pan. After heating the oil add mustard
seeds, grated coconut, cooked urad dal mix and curry leaves. Use this
for stuffing the hollow hemisphere and cook in a pressure cooker for
about 10 minutes.
Mysore Pak 
Ingredients :
Bengal gram flour-1½ cup
Sugar-2¼ cups
Ghee- 2¼ cups
Water sufficient to cover the sugar
Method:
Grease a plate evenly with ghee and set aside. Heat 1 cup ghee, add
the Bengal gram flour, stir well and keep aside. Heat the sugar on
a low heat, adding sufficient water to cover the sugar and make a
syrup of one string consistency. Strain the syrup to remove the scum.
Meanwhile heat the remaining one- cup ghee. Add the Bengal gram flour-ghee
mixture to the sugar syrup and keep stirring on a low heat to remove
lumps if any. Gradually add the remaining heated ghee and keep stirring
till the ghee separates and floats on top. When the mixture froths
up, pour quickly onto a greased plate and shake the plate gently to
spread the Mysore Pak. When it is partly cooled, cut into pieces with
a sharp greased knife. Store in an airtight container
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