Mullangi Sambar(Radish Stew)

Sambar is a stew  made with vegetables, cooked split pigeon peas, tamarind extract and spices. This is  a very common South Indian(Asian) side dish and is normally served with rice or Idli (Steamed Rice & Lentil Dumplings) or Dosai(Savory Rice & Lentil Pancakes).  Or you can just have it as soup, very filling, flavorful and nutritious dish. You can add any single vegetable or mixed vegetables to this stew. I make them quite often with radish because of their nutrition profile. Radishes are high in dietary fiber, vitamin C, folate, potassium, riboflavin , vitamin B6, Calcium and Magnesium.

Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Small Red Globe Radish - 1 pack

Cooked Thoor Dal - 1 1/2 Cups (Cooked and mashed)

Water - 4 Cups

Tamarind - small lemon sized ball or a big goose berry sized ball( soak them in little bit of water, once it softens, adding 1/2 cup of water each time squeeze out the juice for 3 times and keep it aside. After soaking, take the softened tamarind and the top portion of the juice alone as you might notice little bit of sediments getting deposited in the bottom).

Sambar Powder - 1 1/2 Tsp or to your taste based on the spiciness of your choice

Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Rice Flour - 1 1/2 Tsp made to a thick paste by adding a Table spoon of water

Onion - 1

Tempering

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Asafoetida - 1 small piece or 1/4 Tsp (For gluten free avoid this)

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 Tsp

Green Chili - 2 to 3

Method

1) Wash, rinse and  slice the radish into thin slices.

2) Add 3/4 tsp of salt and 1 cup of water little well above the surface of the radish and boil for few minutes. (5-7 minutes)

3) Once it is half cooked, add the remaining salt, sambar powder and squeezed out tamarind extract and boil till the raw smell of tamarind is gone.(8-10 minutes)

4) Heat another small pan add the oil and once this is hot add the mustard seeds, asafoetida piece or powder. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add  fenugreek seeds, green chili and once the fenugreek seeds slightly brown add it to the boiling tamarind juice.

5) Now add the mashed  thoor dal, rice paste and the remaining water and simmer for 5 minutes and then switch off.

7) Serve this with cooked quinoa or rice and enjoy.

Note - I like my sambar to be little thick like a stew, if you want it to be thin add more water and accordingly adjust your salt and spiciness at stage 3.

Event Participation



1) This goes to MLLA-34 hosted by Desi Soccer Mom an event started by Susan.



2) This goes to Cooking with Whole Foods - Toor Dal hosted by Veggie Platter an event started by Kiran

.

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Kale Sambar(Stew)

Kale is the King of Greens along with Brocolli. Though greens in general are nutritious foods, kale stands a head above the rest. Not only is it one of your best sources of beta-carotene, one of the antioxidants believed by many nutrition experts to be a major player in the battle against cancer, heart disease, and certain age-related chronic diseases, it also provides other important nutrients. In addition to beta-carotene, kale posses other important carotenoids: lutein and zeaxathin. These carotenoids help keep UV rays from damaging the eyes and causing cataracts. Include kale as part of your daily Diet to get rid of your glasses.



Kale can be eaten in so many ways, steamed, baked, raw in salad or adding them to vegetable juices and soup. I had a big bunch and they taste the best when they are fresh and green, so to use them up I tried to add this to Sambar(stew) and they justed tasted great.



Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves - 4



Ingredients



Kale - 1/2 Bunch



Cooked Thoor Dal - 1 1/2 Cups (Cooked and mashed)



Water - 4 Cups





Tamarind - small lemon sized ball or a big goose berry sized ball( soak them in little bit of water, once it softens, adding 1/2 cup of water each time squeeze out the juice for 3 times and keep it aside. After soaking, take the softened tamarind and the top portion of the juice alone as you might notice little bit of sediments getting deposited in the bottom).



Sambar Powder - 1 1/2 Tsp or to your taste based on the spiciness of your choice



Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp or to taste



Rice Flour - 1 1/2 Tsp made to a thick paste by adding a Table spoon of water



Onion - 1



Tempering



Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Asafoetida - 1 small piece or 1/4 Tsp (For gluten free avoid this)

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 Tsp

Green Chili - 2 to 3



Method



1) Wash, rinse and remove the thick stem from the kale and then chop them into fine pieces.



2) Add little bit of salt and water and cover to cook the kale till tender.



3) Remove the kale from heat and using a masher, mash them up nicely and keep it aside.



4) Heat a pan add a tsp of oil and add the chopped onions, once they are translucent add the extracted tamarind juice, remaining salt, sambar powder and boil till the raw smell is gone.



5) Heat another small, add the remaining oil, once hot add the mustard seeds, asafoetida powder. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add  fenugreek seeds, green chili and once the fenugreek seeds slightly brown add it to the boiling tamarind juice.



6) Now add the mashed kale and thoor dal, rice paste and the remaining water and simmer for 5 minutes and then switch off.



7) Serve this with cooked quinoa or rice and enjoy.



Note - I like my sambar to thick like a stew, if you want it to be thin add more water and accordingly adjust your salt and spiciness at stage 6.

Event Participation



1)  This goes to Food Palette Series - Green.



2) This goes to MLLA-31 an event hosted by Bricole and started by Susan.

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Bitter Gourd Spicy Stew(Pavakkai Pitlai)

Bitter Melon, also known as Balsam pear is a truly unique and bitter ingredient that is not yet well

known in the United States. It is used widely in Indian cuisine, lot of people peel the upper portion

to reduce the bitterness. But this bitterness is so good for health and recent researches have

shown it stimulates the production of insulin and recommends a regular intake of this vegetable.

The following recipe is slightly bitter and i haven’t added any sugar or jaggery to reduce the

bitterness. You cook a bitter vegetable and what do you expect sweet taste? So enjoy this

slightly bitter dish because bitterness is also a taste like sweet, sour and spicy.

Ingredients

Bitter Melon(Karela/Pavakai) – 2 medium sized

Tamarind – Goose berry sized ball

Cooked Toor Dal (Cooked by adding turmeric powder) – 1 Cup

Cooked black chick pea(kala channa) - handful

Salt – 1 3/4 Tsp(adjust this according to your taste)

Water – 3 3/4 Cups

Sambar Masala

Turmeric powder – 1 Tsp

Coriander Seeds – 2 Tbsp

Channa Dal – 1 Tbsp

Urad Dal – 1/2 Tbsp

Red Chili – 4 to 6 as per you taste and the spiciness of the red chili

Coconut – 1/4 cup

Oil – 2 Tsp

Tempering

Oil – 1 Tsp

Asafoetida – 1/4 Tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 Tsp

Urad Dal – 1/2 Tsp

Green Chili – 1

Curry Leaves – 6 to 8

Method

1) Wash, rinse and chop the bitter melon into thin circles. If the seeds are mature then

remove them else leave them as it is. Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of water.

2) Add 3/4 cup of water, turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp of salt and put the the chopped

bitter melon in this and let this boil in medium heat till the bitter melon is tender. Add

little bit of water if required. Make sure not to over cook, other wise you will get a bitter

melon puree and not sambar.

3) While this is boiling, heat a pan add 2 Tsp of oil and once it is hot add the coriander

seeds, channa dal, urad dal, red chili and coconut and saute till you get a nice aroma and

all the ingredients are slightly browned.

4) Let this cool for 5-10 minutes and then grind then into a coarse to fine powder and

set it aside.

5) Once the bitter melon is boiled, drain the remaining water and gulp it down, do not

discard it.

6) Squeeze out the tamarind pulp from the soaked water, and repeat this two more times

adding half cup of water each time to the pulp and repeating the same process.

7) Now to the cooked bitter melon, add the 1 1/2 cups tamarind water, remaining 1 1/2 cups

plain water, cooked toor dal, ground sambar powder, 1 1/2 tsp salt and simmer in the stove

for 10 minutes.

8) While this simmers, heat a pan and add a tsp of oil, to this add mustard seeds. Once the

mustard seeds stop spluttering add asafoetida, urad dal, green chili and curry leaves and

transfer the tempering to the simmering sambar and switch off the stove.

9) Serve this hot with rice or cooked quinoa. Do not limit quinoa to salads alone, they are

so versatile and with not such a great taste on their own, they taste so good with all these

spicy stews.

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Tangy & Spicy Pumpkin Stew(Parangikai Vathakuzhambu)

The nutritious pumpkin can be used in lot of recipes apart from pumpkin pie, cheese cake and muffins.

Pumpkin high in potassium is very good for a healthy heart. The pretty color of pumpkin indicates it is rich

in beta carotene which is nutrient required for good eyesight and bright skin and promotes overall good

health. However if you are diabetic, eat this vegetable/fruit(yes botanically pumpkin is fruit because it

has seeds) in moderation.

Vathakuzhambu is a traditional South Indian spicy, tangy stew and is normally eaten with rice. The

pumpkin adds a little to lot of sweetness depending on the sweetness level. This vathakuzhambu can

be made with Okra, Eggplant, Onion, Flat Bean, Sweet Potato, Garlic and dried vegetables also called

(Vathal). Now let us get on to the simple and tasty recipe. Try it out and let me know, how you liked it.

Cooking Time – 20 to 25 Minutes

Preparation Time – 15 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Cubed Pumpkin – 1 Cup(an inch thickness and length, remove the skin also but i love the taste of

the skin so don’t normally remove it)

Tamarind – a small ball(half the size of a lemon, old tangy tamarind is normally used for this dish)

Red Chili – 2

Sambar Powder or Vathakuzhambu powder – 1 Tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 Tsp

Toor Dal(Split Yellow Pigeon peas) – 1 Tbsp

Oil – 1 Tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/3 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – handful

Salt – 1 1/2 tsp or adjust according to your taste

Water – 3 Cups

Rice flour – 1 Tsp

Method

1) Soak the tamarind in hot water and i normally soak it little bit of water overnight so next day

morning it is easier to prepare. Yes you have to plan your meals in advance other wise, boil some

water and add the tamarind in the water and soak it for 20 to 30 minutes for best results. Squeeze

out the tamarind pulp 3 to 4 times adding 1/2 cup of water each time and keep these 2 cups of water

aside

2) Now heat a pan add oil and then add the mustard seeds.

3) Once these seeds stop spluttering add asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, Toor Dal and red chili

and saute till they all brown and you get a nice aroma.

4) Now add the curry leaves and saute for a second and then add the turmeric powder and sambar powder

saute for second then add the cubed pumpkin pieces and the tamarind water.

5) Add salt and then boil for 10 minutes on medium heat. With the left out 1 cup of water, reserve 2 Tbsp of

water add the rest of the water to the boiling mixture and boil for another 5 minutes. Now make a paste

out of the reserved water and the rice flour and add it to the boiling mixture and boil for another

2 minutes and switch off.

6) Serve it hot with rice, roti or they taste best with cooked plain quinoa also. You have to taste

it to believe it.

Notes – The consistency is more like a sambar, but some people prefer thicker version and some thinner

version. So add more water if you want a thinner consistency and adjust the salt accordingly.

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Quick Sambar (Stew)

Sambar is a vegetable stew based on a broth made with tamarind and yellow lentils and a very popular South Indian dish.

Know what you Eat: Lentils are one of the best vegetable sources of iron. This makes them an important part of a vegetarian diet, and useful for preventing iron deficiency. Iron is particularly important for adolescents and pregnant women, whose requirements for it are increased.
 Cooking Time: 15 min
Preparation Time: 15 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients

Tamarind – Goose berry size ball
Green chilly – 2 or to taste
Onion – 1 medium sized chopped lengthwise
Tomato – 1 medium sized finely chopped
Garlic (optional) – 2 peeled and crushed cloves
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Cooked Toor Dhal – 1 cup
Asafoetida – 1 small piece
Curry leaves – few
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Quick Sambhar powder – 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 1 tsp
Water


For Quick Sambar powder

Cumin seeds – 4 tsp
Coriander seeds – 4 tsp

I got this recipe from one of my friend long time back. This is very easy to make and very delicious and goes very well with Idli, Dosa and Vada. The consistency should be slightly watery than the regular sambar.

1) Dry roast cumin seeds and coriander seeds till they are nicely toasted, make sure they don’t become black and let it cool and powder it and keep it aside. You can take just 1 tsp each of cumin and coriander and dry roast, but in lot of blenders you can’t make a fine powder if the contents fall below the blade level and can only get a coarse powder. You can make this powder and use two tsp for now and store the rest for later use.
2) Soak tamarind in some water.
3) Heat a pan add oil, once the oil becomes hot add the mustard seeds and the asafoetida piece.
4) After the mustard seeds splutter well add the chilly, garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the sliced onion and curry leaves.
5) Once the onions turn translucent add the tomato pieces, turmeric powder and salt, sauté till the tomato pieces are half cooked.
6) Now squeeze out the tamarind pulp from the soaked tamarind with just enough water and add it to the above, let this boil for 5 minutes.
7) Combine the quick sambar powder to the cooked dhal and mix it thoroughly without any lumps and add it to the above. Add water if required, the consistency of this sambar should be slightly thin then the regular sambar. Stir and cook for 5 more minutes.
8) Switch off and garnish with chopped cilantro and the sambar is ready to serve.

This dish is our contribution to RCI-Pondicherry Cuisine, hosted by Lavi as an entry from Tamil Nadu. RCI was originally started by Lakshmi.

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Quick Pumpkin Sambar for Pongal

Good to Know - Pumpkin is a low calorie, low fat food. Rich in potassium, a nutrient that helps maintain blood pressure and kidney function, pumpkin has a high fiber content, which has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Pumpkin flesh also contains a fair share of vitamin C, an antioxidant essential for healthy skin and gums.

Pongal is a rice and bean based main dish & sambar is a lentil based stew cooked with vegetables and spices and is a very popular dish in South India

Cooking Time: 20 mins
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Serves: 4

 Ingredients

Pumpkin - Chopped around 3 cups
Sambhar powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Red chilly - 1
Tamarind - gooseberry size ball
Thoor Dhal - 2 handfuls
Water
Salt

Method of Preparation

1) Remove the seeds and the skin of the pumpkin and chop the pumpkin into small pieces.
2) Heat oil and add mustard seeds once it stops spluttering add chilly, curry leaves, thoor dhal, asafoetida, sambhar powder, turmeric powder and water.
3) Now add the chopped pumpkin pieces and boil for around 5-10 mins and once the pumpkin is half cooked add the tamarind puree.
4) Make the tamarind puree thick by adding small quantities of water and let it boil for another 5- 10 mins and the sambhar is ready.
5) This will be in between consistency of kootu and sambhar. Much thicker than sambhar but thinner than kootu.
6) The thoor dhal in this sambhar will become soft but will not be very soft and mushy the usual way it is done for regular sambhar.
7) This is one of the traditional side dish for pongal in southern parts of Tamil Nadu.

This dish is our contribution to RCI-Pondicherry Cuisine, hosted by Lavi as an entry from Tamil Nadu. RCI was originally started by Lakshmi.

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