Arachuvitta sambar is the one that is made at home on a regular basis. This is everyone’s favourite at home. You can add any vegetables (Carrot, radish, potato, tomato, onion, avaraikkai).  I like it more when onion or tomato is added to it. They give the sambar a unique flavour. It can be mixed with hot rice and goes well with any poriyal or kootu. It is also a very good side dish for idli, dosai, adai, chappathi, etc.,

INGREDIENTS

Tamarind – 1 lemon size

Toor dhal – 4 tbsp

Any vegetable – 1/4 cup

Jaggery – small piece or a pinch

Turmeric powder – A pinch

Salt – As required

For Grinding

Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp

Channa dhal – 2 tsp

Fenugreek– 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 1 or 2

Coconut – 1/2 cup

For tempering

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Asafoetida – A pinch

• Pressure cook the toor dhal, tamarind and the vegetables in three separate vessels.
• Extract tamarind juice and keep aside.
• Mash the toor dhal well.
• In a kadai, add 1 tsp oil and fry the coriander seeds,channa dhal, grated coconut, red chillies and  fenugreek seeds.
• Sprinkle little water and grind the above ingredients to a smooth paste.
• Now in a vessel, add one drop of oil and splutter mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add curry leaves.
• Then add the extracted tamarind juice, vegetable, salt,  jaggery and turmeric powder.
• Allow it to boil.
• Now add the ground spices and mashed toor dhal to it.
• Allow it to boil.
• Finally add Asafoetida.
• Mix this with hot rice and eat.

Note : Donot add asafoetida while making onion sambar. You will lose the flavour.

Pressure cook carrot, radish, potato, tomato, white pumpkin.

Directly add the following vegetables to the tamarind extract to cook it. Donot pressure cook these vegetables- Drumstick,                   onion, sweet pumpkin.

Add a tsp of Red chilli powder, if the colour of the sambar is yellow.