Spicy Tamarind Sambar, A Dal Soup Easy and Perfect With Any Meal

   When I was preparing the menu for my Foodbuzz 24x24 pongal feast, I had one step that was easy. I knew that no matter what I had on the menu, one dish was an absolute must in any South Indian meal, and that was a sambar. This spicy dal soup is an essential part of any festive occasion. The great thing about sambars is that they make up really, really quickly. They also keep well and can be made ahead of time which saves on the work involved. This was a good thing since I was chasing all around Sonoma County looking for more exotic ingredients and stuffed velvet mini-elephants.
   Over the years, I've made variations on this basic dish, but there are two things that always make a sambar: Tamarind and toor dal. Well, actually three things, the third being Sambar Powder. Can't have the sambar without the powder that adds the necessary spice and flavor.
   Sambar powder is sort of like curry powder or garam masala. There are many variations and you can buy it ready made. However it's really easy to make a batch up yourself and then store it in an airtight jar in your spice cabinet, so why not do that? I always keep a supply of old jars around the house for just such a purpose. Paula gave me that hint. Run them through the dishwasher to make sure they're clean and they're perfect for labeling and storage of anything you desire.
    So for starters here's how to make a basic sambar powder that works well with Spicy Tamarind Sambar.

Tamarind Sambar

 Sambar Powder
 In a heavy skillet (I use cast iron) heat 1 Tbs of vegetable oil.
 When the oil is hot toss in:
 1 cup of dried red chilies
 Stir them around for about 2 to 3 minutes. They'll darken a bit and turn fragrant. Set them aside in a bowl for later. Wipe the skillet clean of oil.
  In the skillet dry-toast the following spices separately until they turn color and put off a strong scent. As each one is finished set it aside in the bowl with the red chilies.
  3/4 cup of coriander seeds
  2 Tbs of cumin seeds
  3/4 Tbs of fenugreek seeds
  3/4 Tbs of black peppercorns
  3/4 Tbs of brown mustard seeds
  1 tsp of chana dal
 1 tsp of toor dal
 1 tsp of poppy seeds
 1 large stick of cinnamon
 A few (3 or 4) curry leaves
  After all these spices are toasted, put them together in a blender or food processor along with 1 tsp of turmeric (untoasted) and grind it up to a fine powder. Store it in an airtight jar in your spice cabinet.   Bingo, there's the sambar powder!

Now to make a Spicy Tamarind Sambar.

   Soak  two pieces of tamarind, each the size of a lemon, in 4 cups of hot water for about 15 minutes. The thing about tamarind is that it seems to be very gettable, Back in the day, I used to buy it in hard blocks that contained the seeds and it was rather a chore to prepare. Recently I found blocks of seeded, dried tamarind in my local Asian market. Break off a piece, place it in the hot water and then strain the tamarind soaking water into another bowl, getting as much liquid out of the tamarind chunk as possible.
 Set the tamarind juice aside and toss out the pulp.
 In a heavy skillet or kadhai heat about 4 Tbs of sesame oil .
When the oil is hot toss in:
 4 dried red chilies
 2 tsp of brown mustard seeds
 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds
   When the mustard seeds start to pop add iin:
 2 tsp of toor dal
 2 tsp of chana dal
 2 tsp of urad dal
 A few curry leaves

Stir this all around and saute it until the dal starts to turn a light, toasty color.
 Add in:
 12 peeled and lengthways chopped challots.

 Saute them for a few minutes and then add in:
 6 tsps of Sambar Powder

  Saute for another minute or so and then pour in the tamarind soaking water

 4 Tbs of jaggery (or dark brown sugar if you can't find that).
 Salt to taste

 Put a lid on the pan and simmer it for about 10 minutes or so, until the shallots are tender.
While that's cooking in a small bowl, mix together into a smooth batter:
  4 Tbs of chickpea flour
  1 cup of water
 Add the batter to the sambar and bring it to a boil. Boil it for about 2 minutes. Serve it hot with rice and a couple of other vegetable dishes .

   This dish is a winner on a lot of fronts. Not only is it vegetarian, it's gluten free and vegan also. Plus it's delicious. So delicious that your guests/family will never realize they're getting something healthy.
 There are a lot of variations on Sambar recipes and I'll be showing a few more in the next few weeks, a perfect dish for a Meatless Monday, any day of the week.

The Kerala Dinner. Part 1: Spicy, Fast and Easy, That's Not Soup It's A Sambar

   Every now and then I like to kick it with a big time Indian dinner. Not that I'm not cooking Indian food almost every day of the week, because I am. But I don't usually make an event out of it. So when I throw a dinner, I throw a dinner!  I get out all the Indian dinnerware, pick some flowers and break out the candles.

    I get into it the same way people hang out at Home Depot and then spend their weekends putting in a hot tub or rewiring something. It is an obsession. It is also my excuse to hang out at the Thailao Market on Santa Rosa Avenue in where else??...Santa Rosa!
   I love this place. They had me at Banana Flower.

   Okay, enough with the banana flower. I look like I'm trying to juggle torpedoes. What I actually was doing, was trying to plan a menu for some visiting friends from San Francisco, Bob and Cathy Barner.

   Cathy is the Director of Park Projects and Stewardship for The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.  Bob is a well known Childrens' book author.
  Here's one of his books, Dem Bones.

Here's Bob!

     Our friends Chip, Terri and Ray joined us and of course Mr. X, the Million Dollar Cauliflower Man.
Bob and Cathy had just returned from a month in India where Bob had been invited to speak at some schools. They happened to be visiting Sonoma for a months' vacation which was all the excuse I needed to toss an Indian feast.
   Since Chip is a vegetarian (he does eat fish) the dinner would contain no land-based protein, except for the legumes. Can't forget the legumes. Got to love the legumes. Can't live without them.
   Any Kerala dinner of course has to  start with a sambar. Sambar is a spicy broth, that's made up of toor dal which has been soaked and ground and blended with a combination of spices, most of the time including tamarind. It's cooked in stages and once the grinding and soaking is done, it actually makes up really really fast.
    In planning this dinner, I wanted a sambar that would go along with the other things I had planned and so I decided on a buttermilk sambar rather than a tamarind based one. It's called Moru Kuzhambu.  I first learned of this recipe from the excellent Vegetarian South Indian Cookbook, Dakshin. This is my adaptation of it.

  Part 1: Soaking and Grinding
     Soak:
2 tsp of toor dal
2 tsp of chana dal in 1 cup of water for one hour.
   Drain the dal and put it into a grinder or food processor along with:
 A 1 inch piece of peeled fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
4 tsp of cumin seeds
2 Tbs of coriander seeds
10 fresh green chilies
8 Tbs of grated dried coconut
 and a little bit of water.

Grind it up well.

  And set it aside.
    This is one of the things that I like so much about making a sambar. You can make it and quickly finish and eat it, or you can do this part and then set it aside and finish it later. All in, it takes about 30 minutes or so to cook.
   The other thing a good sambar has is the addition of vegetables. Any number and type of vegetables can be added, from potato to okra to onion. I chose grey zucchini the closest thing I could find that matched the ash gourd of the original recipe.
     Here's The Endgame.
 In a large pan or pot heat:
  3 tsp of vegetable oil
  When the oil is hot toss in:
  2 Tsp of brown mustard seed
  2 tsp of fenugreek seed
 2 dried red chilies broken in half
 A handful of curry leaves

   When the mustard seeds start to snap and pop toss in:
 2 cups of chopped grey zucchini or any other vegetable of your choice

  Add a bit of water,  just enough so the vegetables are covered, put a lid on it and turn down the heat. Let it simmer for about  10 or 15 minutes, until the  veggies are tender.
   Now for The Yogurt
    In a bowl mix together:
 4 cups of plain yogurt  whipped smooth
 The ground dal paste
 salt to taste
 1 tsp of turmeric
  Blend it all together well.
   Then add the yogurt spice mixture to the squash spice mixture and reheat it all very gently.

You don't want to curdle things. When it's heated though, it's ready to serve.
   So there you go. There's a sambar. Firey hot, but when served with the right accompanying dishes beautifully balanced.

   When you want to bring the heat, you have to bring the sweet and spicy too, which I'll be getting to.
 This sambar goes perfectly with a wonderful green bean dish which will be coming soon.
 People dug in,  passed their thalis...

cracked a few brews...

everyone except Patsy...

Who did not find the legumes particularly interesting. "What? No meat? I'm bored!"

  Now for the Winner of The Tropical Traditions Organic Shredded Coconut Contest!
   Drumroll please!!!!!
   Our lucky winner is Llinda!!!!!
 Llinda, if you'll get in touch with me, I'll arrange to have your wonderful coconut sent to you. I know you are going to love it as it's all I ever use!