Beetroot Sambar

Ingredients:

1 cup toor dal

2 medium beetroots, peeled and cubed

5 okra / vendakka, cut into 2" pieces

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed

12-15 shallots

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp sambar powder

2 tomatoes, chopped

a large pinch of asafoetida

1/2 lemon size tamarind

2-3 green chillies

salt to taste

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 dry red chillies

a pinch of fenugreek seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

2 tbsp coriander leaves

2 tbsp oil

Preparation:

1. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water, extract its juice and keep it aside.
2. Wash and soak toor dal in water for 30 minutes and then pressure cook adding a pinch of turmeric powder, salt and enough water.
3. In the meantime, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and saute okra pieces for 2-3 minutes and keep it aside.
4. Saute the shallots in the same oil for 2 minutes and then transfer sautéed shallots and okra to the cooked toor dal in the pressure cooker.
5. Then add diced beetroot, potato, green chillies, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and salt and cook till all the vegetables are cooked well. Add water if required.
6. Add chopped tomato into this and mix well.
7. Then add tamarind extract and sambar powder, mix well and continue to cook on medium low flame for 4-5 minutes.
8. Adjust the salt and add asafoetida and chopped coriander leaves and mix well and switch off the flame.
9. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
10. Add dry red chillies and curry leaves and pour it over the sambar. Serve hot with rice, idli, vada, dosa etc...