Namma Bele Saaru

This is namma classic south indian sambhar, eaten with rice each day in many households. Learning this was my very first step into the kitchen and ive been making this for say 3 yrs now. By now ive mastered it and know it byheart. Those days i learnt it just so we could survive on something when mum was out of town. However, dad says he likes my version better although it tastes exactly like mum's :)) Maybe tat was a trick he used from being away from the kitchen.
Nicho, my collegue from Goa happens to love this. And its for her am posting this recipe on the blog. Nicho...try it out n invite me for lunch soon !

Ingrediants: (serves 4)

Vegetables & Dal:
Togari Bele/Toor Dal/Sambhar Dal - 1 small tea cup
Onions - 2 (Cut each into 4 big pieces)
Potato - 1 (Cut into 4 big pieces)
Beans - Cut into the size of say half a finger :P
Tomato - 1 Whole
Okra / Ladies Finger - Cut into small pieces

Uppu, Oooli, Khara:
Uppu/Salt to taste
Oooli/Tamarind - 1 strand
Khara/Sambhar Powder - 2 tsp
Fresh Coconut - 1/4 of half the coconut shell

Seasoning:
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal/Black Gram - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1/2 chopped into small pieces
Curry Leaves - 2 strands
Pinch of Hing/Asafoetida (optional)

Method:
1. Take a medium sized container as you see in the pic below. Using this, pressure cook Toor Dal, onions, potato and whole tomato with water til 3/4th height of the container. Wait until you get to listen 4 whistles and switch off the stove.
2. Cook Okras and Beans separately with some water. The reason is if you pressure cook them they will get mashed up.
3. When the pressure from the cooker is all whooshed away, open the lid. First remove the floating potato pieces and drain the water to another container. Its with this that you prepare the sambhar.



4. Soak the tamarind in a bit of the very same water. Then, grind the Sambhar pwdr and coconut into a fine paste again using the same water. NOTE: Do not use fresh water anywhere, it would then spoil the taste of ur sambhar.
5. Now since all the water is drained, mash onions, dal and tomato (as in the pic above). This gives thickness to the sambhar.
6. Once mashed, pour the water back into it and bring it to heat on the stove with medium flame. Add the cooked okras, beans and curry leaves.
7. Sqeeze the soaked tamarind and make a paste off it. Pour this into the above mixture along with the sambhar pwdr/coconut paste. Sprinkle salt as required. This is what gives sour, spicy and salty taste.
8. This mixture needs to really boil well so increase the heat. Stir once in a while so that the bottom doesnt burn.



9. When you feel that the sambhar has acquired a thickness, switch off the stove.
10. Bring to heat 2 tsp of oil in a tadka, add mustard, jeera, urad dal, onions and hing. Pour this finally into the sambhar. The tadka brings a pleasant fragnance, so close the lid to trap it.

Serve hot with rice.