Mixed Vegetable Sambhar/Sambar – Udupi Hotel Style Sambhar/Sambar, Side dish for Idly/dosa

Ingredients
1/2 cup Tuvar dal/split pigeon peas
1 no drumstick, chopped into 1 inch piece
2 nos brinjals, i used long ones, chopped
8-10 nos shallots, peeled
1 potato, peeled and chopped into cubes
lemon sized tamarind, soaked in 2 tbsp of water
2 tsp grated jaggery
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp haldi 
fresh coriander leaves for garnish

To roast and grind
2 tsp chana dal
2 tsp coriander seeds
5-6 nos red chilies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
1 tsp rice


Tempering
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 strands of curry leaves
2 round red chilies (optional)




Method

• Wash and pressure cook tuvar dal by adding 1.5 cups of water and with a pinch of haldi until done. I use pressure cook for 5 whistles. Let the pressure get down on its own.
• In a small pan, add 1 tsp oil and roast all the ingredients, except coconut. Let it cool. Take the ingredients along with coconut and soaked tamarind. Add 1/4 cup of water and grind it to a little coarse paste. Keep aside until use.
• Wash and chop all the veggies, add a cup of water to drumstick, microwave cook for  5 minutes, with a pinch of haldi and 1/4 tsp salt. Alternatively, it can also be cooked on stove top, just cook until it is soft. Once done, keep aside, until use.
• Soak shallots in warm water for 10 minutes, peel the outer cover and keep aside. Chop the brinjals and potatoes into cubes and keep ready.
• In a pan, add 1 tsp of oil, when it is hot, add the shallots, saute for a minute, next add chopped brinjals and potatoes, add 1/2 cup of water, add haldi and salt. Let it cook for 10 minutes. Once the veggies are half-cooked, add the pre-cooked drumstick, ground spice paste, and cooked dal to this. Add 1/2 cup of water to adjust the consistency. Mix well. Let this boil for 10 minutes. Once all the veggies are cooked well and rawness of the spices disappear, add jaggery and let sit for another 5 minutes. 

• Remove it from the stove, heat oil for tempering, splutter mustard seeds,  chilies and curry leaves, pour the tadka over the sambhar. Serve it hot garnished with coriander leaves, along with idly/dosa.