Idli Sambhar

They say variety is the spice of life. We prefer to say spices are the spice of life. Because we live in an primarily Ashkenazik community and we like to share our table with friends, kitnyot don't make many appearances at our home during the Passover holiday. One night though, we go all out, holding nothing back, and that means Indian food. Our dishes are lush with lentils, rice, and lots of seeds and spices.

Sambhar is a wonderfully tangy "soup" that is served with anything you can dip. Our favorites are dosa (lentil and rice "pancakes") and idli, delicately steamed lentil and rice cakes. Most people have not eat idli, but if you can, try to imagine what it would be like to bite into a cloud.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs Channa Dal
• 2 Tbs Coriander seeds
• 1-2 dry Red chilies 
• 1 cup Split Yellow Moong Dal
• 1 cup of chopped Onion
• 2 medium Tomatos chopped
• 2 medium Potatos chopped roughly
• 2 medium Carrots copped coarsely
• 1 Tbs sambhar powder.
• 1-2 Green Chillis
• 1 Tbs Tamarind pulp
• 1 Tbs Jaggery or raw sugar (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
• Salt - to taste2 Tbs light Oil or Ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Urad Dhal
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 8-12 Curry leaves
• Asafoteda - a generous pinch

Directions:

1. Soak Tamarind pulp in 1/4 cup of boiled water.
2. To a hot frying pan, add the first three ingredients and dry roast for 30 seconds until channa dal begins to change color and the aroma roses. Remove from pan, and in a spice mill or using a mortar and pestle, grind the mixture to a semi fine powder. Set aside. 
3. In the same hot pan dry roast moong dal until it is lighly browned and its arma rises. Transfer the dal to a sauce pan and cover by 1 inch with water (approximately 3 - 4 cups). Bring to a boil, put on a a tight fitting lid, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until they are mushy, about 30 minutes. Mash dal to a paste using a fork or the back of a ladle. Set aside.
4. Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add onions, tomatoes, and a pinch of salt. The tomatoes will begin to give off their juices. Cook until the tomatoes are dry.
5. Add potatoes, carrots, chopped green pepper and sambhar powder to the tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes until everything is well coated with the sambhar. Remove from heat and add to the mung bean paste.
6. Remove the seeds from the tamarind paste. Add the remaining pulp and water, along with 2 cups of water, the ground spices, and the jaggery to the mung bean paste. Bring to a low simmer. Allow to cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro, stir, and keep warm.
7. To Temper Spices: Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Add the oil/ghee and let heat just until it starts smoking. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin, curry leaves, and asofoteda and heat until the mustard seeds start to pop. Remove from heat and then add it into the soup. 
8. Cover the sambhar and turn off the heat.

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