Sambar - South Indian Cuisine

Without Sambar ! Then that is not a South Indian Cuisine. Sambar with steamed rice and potato fry or apalam it goes heavenly .
Idli-Sambar/Dosai-Sambar for my brother their is no limit for these combination (He will eat more than 10 solidly ;) .
We can make sambar with or without vegetables.But i prefer with vegetable it will enrich sambar taste .

Ingredients :

Toor dal : 1/3 cup
Shallot  : 6-8 nos.
Mixed Vegetables : 1 cup (carrot,raddish,small potato,drumstick,brinjal,broad beans)
Red Chilli : 1
Tomato : 1
Garlic : 3 pods
Sambar powder : 2 tsp 
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Tamarind : Gooseberry sized ball
Oil : 1 tsp
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Hing : a generous pinch
Salt as required 
Curry leaves : 2 sprig
Coriander leaves : for garnishing

Method :

1. Pressure cook dhal ,turmeric,garlic, little salt and vegetables(except brinjal,drumstick,broad beans) with enough water to dhal immerse,  wait for 4 whistles.
2. Soak tamarind and extract 1 cups of tamarind pulp. 
3. In a pan add brinjal ,drumstick,tomato,shallots add enough water to cook (Don't add too much water ) .close the lid .
4. After 5 mins(Just half cook) add sambar powder , stir it till raw smell of sambar powder to go ,now add tamarind extract.Let it boil for 3 mins.
5. Once the pressure released mash the dhal well and add it to the prepared veg-sambar mixture , add water along with that to get your preferable consistency.
6. Reduce heat and bring everything to a boil, until the sambar thickens (check for salt )  
7. In another pan add oil once it get hot , add mustard seed let it splutter ,add curry leaves turn off and add hing . Pour this mixture to sambar
8. Garnish with coriander leaves .

Note : If you are preparing this sambar for tiffin replace oil with 1 spoon ghee.Ghee sambar goes well for tiffin.