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Subru Uncle's Delicious S. Indian Sambar Veg Curry We All Love

5.0(5)

This is a family favourite in this household! If I married a South Indian boy, I'd be eating this everyday along with a bowl full of hot rasam and rice! Mmm :-) I learnt to make this today from Subru uncle(he's been cooking for us for the past 13 years!). He's worked in several hotels here in Oman before he joined us. This curry is one he used to make a lot here and in India in the hotels and serve - it ALWAYS got a gold star! I'm so glad I have FINALLY got this down pat! We enjoy this with steaming hot rice for a complete wonderful meal. We take this to a lot of potluck parties and it always gets over quickly! I love having this with Recipe #17933). My house smells wonderful while this is cooking! Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

by Charishma_Ramchandani·published 2003-11-20

Open original recipe

Curries

Servings

(4–6)

Total time

1h 45m

prep 45 min

Calories / serving

518 kcal

Ingredients (22)

serves

4 teaspoons saltsalt
2 1/4 tablespoons sambar garam masala powder (I use the MTR Madras Sambar Masala powder brand, that's the brand I love the best)
1 1/2 tablespoons asafoetida powder (known as "hing" in Hindi)asafoetida
1 cup yellow lentils, cleaned, washed, soaked in plenty of water and drained (toor dal)yellow-lentils
1 1/2 cups peeled washed and diced yams (known as "sooran" in Hindi)
1 small potato, peeled, washed and dicedpotato
5 -6 garlic cloves, peeled, washed and slit lengthwise (slit each clove of garlic into 3 parts lengthwise)garlic
1 small carrot, peeled, washed and dicedcarrot
1/2 cup flat indian beans, washed, ends trimmed and chopped into 1 inch size pieces (commonly called "guavar" in Hindi)
2 large vegetable drumsticks, washed, peeled, ends trimmed and chopped into 2 inch sized pieces
3 cups waterwater
2 teaspoons turmeric powderturmeric
2 medium green chilies, washed and slit lengthwise
20 fresh curry leaves, washed and torn between the palms of your handscurry-leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seedcumin
1 teaspoon mustard seedsmustard-seed
5 -6 tablespoons oiloil
1 large tomatoes, washed, peeled and choppedtomato
10 -12 okra, washed and chopped into 1 inch size pieces (commonly called ladyfingers or "bhindi" in Hindi)okra
5 whole red chilies
1/2 cup tamarind pulp or 1/2 cup tamarind juicetamarind
1 teaspoon methi seeds

Instructions (28 steps)

01Prepare the tamarind pulp by first soaking a few pieces of tamarind in 1-1/2 cups of hot water.
02Squeeze the tamarind pieces as well as you can and allow the tamarind pulp (juice) to mix into the hot water.
03Once you have squeezed out half a cup, transfer this to a pot.
04Note that the consistency of the tamarind pulp should be such that you have more tamarind pulp and less water.
05Add the chopped ladyfinger to the pot.
06Allow to boil for 5 minutes.
07This is a neat trick Subru uncle's taught me.
08By doing this, the sticky fluid that comes out of the ladyfinger will not come out.
09Remove from heat and keep aside.
10Now, take a large pot in which you will be preparing the sambar.
11Heat the pot on medium-high flame.
12Once its hot, pour 3 cups of water in it.
13Add the drained toor dal (yellow lentils) and mix well.
14Add garlic and mix well.
15Allow it to boil well (for about 15 minutes).
16Lower flame and add all the chopped and diced vegetables to the boiling lentils (toor dal).
17Mix in turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, salt and Sambar masala powder.
18Fold in the chopped tomatoes.
19Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the tomatoes are softened and the veggies are tender.
20In the meantime, prepare the seasoning.
21For this, heat oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium-high flame.
22Once it's hot, add mustard seeds, methi seeds and cumin seeds.
23Allow to crackle and splutter.
24Once this stops, add curry leaves, green chillies and whole red chillies to the pan.
25Mix well and stir-fry for 2 minutes on medium flame.
26Remove the pan from heat.
27Add this seasoning to the sambar.
28Mix well, cook on simmer for 5 minutes and serve this wonderful curry immediately (hot) with cooked long-grain Basmati white rice and low-fat plain yogurt, if required.