Yoghurt Sambhar - Indian Cooking Class

There is a prohibition against holding a person's wages overnight when their expectation is to get paid on a daily basis. There is also a requirement to pay off debts and obligations before the Days of Awe (Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur), which were in October. I donated an Indian cooking class to this years Purim Gala at Congregation BIAV, which was held last February. Schedules and complex lives got in the way of being timely, but not in the quality of the class (I hope), which I just completed for two lovely couples.

The couples were really patient as we walked through 8 different dishes together - tempering spices, chopping vegetables, and simmering sauces in a hot kitchen. Their patience and grace though really shone through when they agreed to share their dinner and break bread with the seven of us. Thank you.

Sambhar is a South Indian staple; a thick sauce made with lots of lentils and vegetables, slightly sour and aromatic. There are many different kinds of sambhar. I chose to make this one to take advantage of a bumper crop of butternut squash out of our garden.

Ingredients

3-4 fresh curry leaves

1.25 tsp black gram dal

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

4-6 red chili peppers

0.5 tsp asofoeteda powder

5 tsp red gram dal

.75 cup Butternut Squash

2 cups Plain Yogurt

1 tsp coriander seeds

0.5 tsp fenugreek seeds

4 tbs flaked coconut

0.5 inches fresh ginger

0.25 tsp Ground Turmetic

4 tsp  oil

Directions

1. Heat 2 tsp oil in frying pan
2. Add 1.25 tsp funegreek seeds, 1.25 tsp black gram dal, 1 tsp coriander seeds,  1.5 tbs red gram dal, 6 red chillies and .5 tsp asafoteda
3. Saute 3 minutes
4. Process in blender along with ½ piece of ginger, grated and 4 tbs flaked cococunt and a bit of water until it's a fine paste
5. To the paste add yogurt, turmeric, and salt to taste
6. Beat until the mixture is smooth, and set aside
7. Chop the squash into ½ inch pieces
8. Heat a little oil and add 1 tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 halved red chilli and 3-4 few curry leaves.
9. When the mustard sputters, add the squash and saute 1 minute
10. add enough water to cover the gourd, cover the pan and simmer until the squash is tender: about 15 minutes
11. Add the yoghurt mixture and heat through gently.
12. Serve hot with rice