Mooli/White Radish Sambar

Sambar with rice is one of the main courses of both formal and everyday South Indian cuisine. It is also served with idli, vada or dosa, along with two chutneys - a green coconut chutney and a mildly spicy red tomato chutney. Sambar is one of the main side dish in the Onam Sadhya.

Sambar is prepared either with Mooli/White Radish, Okra/Bhindi, Drumstick, Shallots/Small onion or with a mix of different vegetables. Traditionally, only sambar powder is added while making this dish. No coconut is added. But in kerala, people add coconut and sambar powder. This gives a distinct taste to the dish. Sambar powder is easily available in stores with different brand names.

Ingredients


2 Mooli/White Radish (medium sized)
1/2 cup Toor Dal
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Red chilli powder
4 tbsp Coriander powder
3 tbsp Tamarind pulp
1 tsp Asafoetida
Salt to taste
1 cup Coconut (freshly grated)
1 tsp split Urad dal
1/2 tsp Methi seeds
5 - 10 Curry leaves
2 tbsp Coriander leaves
1 tsp Sambar masala
4 tbsp Coconut oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
Water as required



Method

• Pressure cook toor dal till soft. Mash nicely using a spatula. Keep this aside.
• Wash, peel and cut mooli into thick 2 inch long pieces.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and fry the mooli pieces in it. When it slightly changes colour, put them into the cooked toor dal.
• Add water as required and put salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp asafoetida and 1 tsp coriander powder. Pressure cook till the mooli is cooked.
• Take off from heat and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai and put split urad dal, methi seeds. Fry till it slightly changes its colour. Now add grated coconut and fry till it slightly changes its colour.
• When it changes colour, add the rest of red chilli powder, coriander powder, asafoetida and 4 - 5 curry leaves. Fry for 1/2 a minute and take off from heat.
• When it cools down, grind it into a smooth paste by adding water as required. Keep this aside.
• Put tamarind pulp into the mooli - toor dal mixture. Do not mix it. Let it simmer and boil for some time.
• Now add the ground masala into it. Add sambar masala and adjust salt. Add water as required and let it simmer for sometime.
• When everything is combined properly, add coriander leaves and take off from heat.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds. When it splutter, add curry leaves and pour this tadka into the prepared sambar.
• Serve it hot with Idli, Vada, Dosa or steamed Rice.



Mooli Sambar

* increase or decrease the quantity of the ingredients as per your taste*



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