Sambar for Idli/Vada/Dosas

# of servings:  8-10
Preparation Time:  15 mins	Cook Time:  40 mins

This sambar makes one forget the restaurants, making Idies, Vadas, and Dosas more enjoyable at home!   Filled with nutrients and warm goodness, this sure is a delightful delicacy.

Ingredients:

• Chopped vegetables (any) - Carrots, beans, potatoes, cucumber, lady's fingers, drumsticks - 2.5 cups
• Tomatoes - 2 medium
• Onions - 2 medium
• Tur dal - 0.5 cup
• Channa daal - 1 tsp
• Urad daal - 1 tsp
• Cloves - 5
• Cinnamon - 1 inch
• Kapok bud (maratha moggu) - 3
• Black pepper - 1 tsp
• Coriander and cumin powder - 2 tsp
• Fenugreek (methi) seeds - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Poppy seeds - 1.5 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 2 tsp
• Jaggery - 2 tsp
• Grated coconut - 0.5 cup 
• Red chilies - 12
• Curry leaves - 2 strands 
• Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch

Method:

• Soak poppy seed in a quarter cup of water
• Cube all the veggies into big chunks
• If using lady's fingers, heat a little oil in a pan and saute for a couple of minutes ('Saute' mode in IP)
• Wash the tur daal in a Pressure cooker vessel
• Set aside half an onion and add the rest of the chopped veggies (including sauteed lady's fingers) to the daal 
• Add enough water and salt 
• Pressure cook everything ('Pressure' mode for 4 mins. in IP)
• Dry roast - Red chilies, Channa daal, Urad daal, Cloves, Cinnamon, Kapok bud, Black pepper, Fenugreek (methi) seeds, and Mustard seeds
• Add all dry roasted ingredients to the blender jar along with half an onion, coriander and cumin powder,  grated coconut, soaked poppy seeds, tamarind, jaggery, and remaining salt
• Make a smooth paste
• In a little oil, season mustard seeds, cumin, asafoetida, and curry leaves
• To this, add the ground paste, cooked daal, and veggies 
• Add water to adjust to the desired consistency 
• Bring to a boil
• Turn off the heat and add chopped coriander leaves generously
• Serve hot with Idlies (or) Vadas (or) Dosas

Tips and Tricks:

• Sauteing the lady's fingers will remove their gooey texture 
• Do not skip coriander leaves in the end.  This adds dramatic flavor to the sambar!
• Adding half the salt to the vegetables while cooking and the remaining salt later makes the vegetables more tastier.  The salt will be distributed evenly in the sambar

Pictures: 

Final Outcome: