Name: South Indian Lentil Stew
Yield: Serves 4 to 6 as part of a rice-based meal
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 5 to 6 dried or Fresh curry leaves; 1 cup coarsely chopped eggplant or okra; 1 or 2 drumsticks, cut into 1½-inch chunks (optional); 1 heaping tablespoon tamarind pulp; 1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon mustard seed; 1 medium onion, sliced; 1 cup hot water; 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into chunks; 1 teaspoon cumin seed; ½ teaspoon fenugreek seed; 1½ tablespoons coriander seed; 1 teaspoon black peppercorns; 3½ cups water; ½ teaspoon turmeric; 1 to 2 dried red chiles; 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6
as part of a rice-based meal

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Seductions of Rice

By Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

Published 1998

About

Sambar is a richly flavored South Indian stew of dal and vegetables, traditionally soured with tamarind. There are many different versions of sambar, because it is made in almost every restaurant and household across the southern part of India. Whenever you sit down to a rice meal, or to eat a dosa (a thin rice and lentil flatbread), sambar will be served as an accompaniment. It can be thick or thin, tangy and hot or quite mild in taste, but it is almost always t