Small Onion Sambar

Small onions, freshly made sambar masala - do you need more. Making the sambar masala fresh is quite easy actually though it sounds like it is too much of a pain. 


Ingredients:

1. Tur Dal -3/4 cup
2. Small Onions peeled - 15
3. Tamarind - Size of a big lemon
4. Jaggery/Sugar - 1tsp
5. Butter/Oil - 1tsp

 For the sambar powder/masala

1. Fenugreek/Methi seeds  -10
2. Black Pepper - 5
3. Red chilli - 2
4. Dhania/corriander seeds - 1tsp
5. Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
6. Dried Coconut - 1 small piece
7. Curry Leaves - Few

Method:

1. Cook the tur dal and soak the tamarind.
2. Dry fry all except curry leaves listed in the sambar powder list until they are slightly brown. I fry everything together on a low heat.
3. Grind the dried ingredients along with curry leaves. This is one way to get my family to actually eat the curry leaves. I generally add a little water and grind it into a smooth paste.
4. Add the tamarind water, small onions, whole green chillies if you want more heat, tomato and half the sambar masala.
5. Cook for one whistle in the pressure cooker.
6. Once you can open the cooker, add the remainder of the masala, jaggery, salt and get the sambar to a rolling boil.
7. Add the rai/jeera seasoning.
8. Mix it with rice and ... slurp.

Notes:

1. Assumption is that you know how to cook using a pressure cooker.
   
2. The quantity above serves 3 with other side dishes like a sabji and curd.
3. I know it is quite ridiculous to count the seeds - but this is what works for me.