Karaikudi Sambhar

This version of sambhar is usually served as a side dish for dosa and idli varieties. In weddings this is served with Venn Pongal. I learnt this from my daughter’s mother in law.

Cooking is one thing, taking photos of food that you cook is quite another. Let’s see the amusing story behind the photo. My brother who had come down from Delhi was scheduled to leave in the morning to attend a conference. So the first time I set the sambar in a lovely serving bowl all ready to shoot, I was told that “attending conference” was priority – the photo needed to wait till Sampath finished his breakfast. After my brother finished his breakfast, I garnished it once more and pulled out a “jerige veshti” to set the scene for the much needed snap for the blog. Hunger pangs hit my husband, he wanted to eat. And so the Sambar had to wait again for its photo shoot. Just as he finished, and I went about transferring to another smaller bowl fair enough for the quantity left behind, my son arrived from his bath and said, “Amma, that looks very tasty. I’ll eat and then you take snaps”. Poor Sambhar, it had wait yet again for its moment of glory. Mid way through my son’s breakfast, my stomach started growling. Now who could resist rava idlis with sambhar. I finished my portion of the breakfast too.

All that was left was two ladle fulls, and this absolute amateur with the camera was left to salvage whatever was left. I transferred into a soup bowl, garnished and took a few snaps. Dont miss the “jerige veshti” in red, although I am still not sure what it is doing in the snap. I put this as part of the composition because my daughter said that ethnic stuff like this will pep up the presentation. 🙂

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• Toor dal – 1/4 cup
• Moong dal – 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/8 teaspoon
• Onion – 1 nos
• Brinjal – 250 gms
• Hing – 1/8 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Oil 3 teaspoons
• Red chillies 2 nos
• Coriander leaves – 2 twigs

For the paste

• Tomato – 1 medium
• Green chillies – 2 nos
• Coconut grated – 2 tablespoons

Method

1. Wash and pressure cook the dals with turmeric and 2 cups water.
2. Slice the onions into thin pieces and chop brinjal into small cubes.
3. Heat oil in a kadai and add the vegetables, hing and fry for 3 minutes stirring continuously.
4. Pour 1/2 cup water and cover and cook on a low flame till brinjal is soft.
5. Grind the ingredients for the paste.
6. Add the cooked dals and the paste to the vegetables and mix well.
7. Add salt and simmer for 5 minutes.Transfer to a serving bowl
8. Garnish with red chillies fried in 1 teaspoon oil and finely chopped coriander.
9. Serve with

• Plain Idli
• Masala dosa
• Rava Idli
• Rava Dosa
• Venn Pongal