Fresh peas and Capsicum Sambar

Ingredients:

Fresh Peas - 1/2 kg

Capsicum - 1 big

Tamarind - 1 slightly big lemon size

Sambar powder - 4 tsps

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Salt - as required

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Mustard seeds for seasoning - 1 tsp

Toor Dal- 1 cup

Method:

Remove the fresh peas from the pods and cut the capsicum into small cubes and then wash them nicely.

Keep 1 cup Toor Dal in the pressure cooker and cook.

Make a thick tamarind extract.

Now place the tamarind water on the gas and put the fresh peas and capsicum pieces.

Add salt, sambar powder, turmeric powder,hing and curry leaves and allow it to boil.

After the vegetables are cooked nicely, add the pressure cooked Toor dal and mix nicely.

Let the sambar boil for 5 more minutes and then add coriander leaves and mix nicely.

Now remove the cooked sambar from the fire and season with mustard seeds in 2 tsps of oil.

The peas and capsicum sambar is now ready for consumption with any dry vegetable curry of your choice or any raita of your choice.

Vazhathandu Sambar /Raw plaintain Stem Sambar.

Ingredients:

Vazhathandu - 1 medium size.

Tamarind - 1 slightly big lemon size

Sambar powder - 4 tsps

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves

Salt - as required

Toor dal - 1/2 a cup

Method:

Take a vazhathandu and peel off the skin and cut round thick slices and put them in water with a drop of buttermilk in it.

Now cut the round into half.

Take a vessel with water and soak the tamarind in it and make a thick juice extract.

Now put the vazhathandu half pieces in the tamarind extract and place on fire.

Add salt, sambar powder,hing, turmeric powder and curry leaves and allow it to boil.

In the meanwhile take a vessel and put toor dal in it with and cook in the pressure cooker.

After the vazhathandu pieces get cooked, pour the cooked toor dal on the sambar and mix nicely.

Now garnish with coriander leaves and season with mustard seeds.

The Vazhathandu sambar is ready and hot to be eaten with Rice and some nice curry and papad.

Mulangi Sambar /Radish Sambar

Ingredients:

White Radish - 2-3 nos(medium ones)

Tamarind - 1big gooseberry size

Sambar powder - 3-4 tsps

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Hing (asafoetida) 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Salt as required

Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Tuar dal (black gram dal) - 1/2 cup

Mustard seeds for seasoning - 1 tsp

Method:

Remove the skin of the radish and cut into small round slices.

Soak tamarind in water and make a thick extract.

Wash the radish slices and put into the tamarind liquid, and add salt, sambar powder,hing,turmeric powder and curry leaves and allow to boil and cook.

In the mean while take a small vessel and put the tuar dal with water and cook in the pressure cooker.

When the radish in the sambar has cooked ,slowly add the cooked tuar dal from the cooker and mix nicely.

The dal should be well cooked like mashed.

Now add some coriander leaves and mix in the sambar.

Now the sambar is ready, and now season in a little oil mustard seeds and pour into the sambar.

You can have the mulangi sambar with hot rice and some nice curry,raita, fried papad.

Sambar sadam/ Bisi Bele Bhath/ Sambar Rice

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Tuar dal (red gram dal) -1/2 cup

Tamarind -1 big lime size

Potato - 2

Fresh peas -1/4 cup

Radish - 2

Violet brinjals - 4-5 nos

Lady's finger (Bhindi) -5-6 nos

Capsicum - 1 big

Carrots - 2

Onion - 2 medium sized or option small onions 1/2 cup (peeled)

Salt as required

Curry leaves - few

Ghee - 3 Tblsps

Cashewnuts - 10 nos

Fry in little oil and powder into masala:

Red chillies -7-8

Coriander seeds (daniya) -1 1/2 tsps

Methi (fenugreek) seeds -1/4 tsp

Urad dal (black gram dal) -1 tsp

Chana dal (bengla gram dal) -1 1/4 tsps

Grated dry coconut -1 1/2 Tblsp.

Method:

Cut all the vegetables and pressure cook till it is 3/4th cooked.

Cook tuar dal (red gram dal) with Rice by adding sufficient water in the vessel and cook in the pressure cooker till soft.

Soak tamarind in water and extract thick juice from it.

After the rice and dal are cooked nicely and the vegetables are also cooked,put all this in a vessel and pour the thick tamarind juice in it.

Now mix salt, hing (asafoetida), curry leaves, turmeric powder and mix nicely.

Heat oil and fry the peeled onions and also add this to the rice mixture.

Now place the whole rice mixture with every thing on the fire and stir for 5 minutes.

Now remove from fire and heat ghee in a pan and fry cashew nuts and garnish on top.

You can also if you want garnish with coriander leaves.

Now the Sambar rice or Bisi Bele Bhath is ready for consumption.

Serve hot with crisp potato chips and any raita of your choice.